About a Silence in Literature by Živorad Stojković (Banned in Yugoslavia by court order in 1951.)

About David (1980) by Susan Beth Pfeffer.

Abduction! (2004) by Peg Kehret (Challenged but retained at the two Apple Valley, Massachusetts middle- and eight elementary-school libraries [2006] despite the complaint that the book was too violent.)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007) by Sherman Alexie (Suspended from a Crook County High School classroom in Prineville, Oregon in 2008 after a parent complained that it was offensive. The New York Times bestseller and a National Book Award winner will remain out of the classroom until the school district can revamp its policies. The book is about a boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation who decides to attend an all-white school. The protagonist in Alexie's book discusses masturbation. Retained on the summer reading list at Antioch, Illinois High School [2009] despite objections from several parents who found its language vulgar and racist. In response to concerns, however, the district will form a committee each March to review future summer reading assignments. The committee, which will include parents, would decide whether parents should be warned if a book contains possibly objectionable material; anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence, "depictions of bullying.")

(B) The Accumulation of Capital: A Contribution to an Economic Expansion of Imperialism (1930) by Rosa Luxembourg.

Achingly Alice (1998) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Banned from the Webb City, Missouri school library in 2002 because the book promotes homosexuality and "discusses issues best left to parents.")

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark Twain ("Racist." "Degrading, insensitive, and oppressive." "Use of the word 'nigger.'" Banned in 1885 in the Concord, Massachusetts library for being what the Public Library Committee called "trash". From a newspaper clipping: Boston Evening Transcript March 17, 1885 p. 6 "Huckleberry Finn" Barred Out. The Concord (Mass.) Public Library committee has decided to exclude Mark Twain's latest book from the library. One member of the committee says that, while he does not wish to call it immoral, he thinks it contains but little humor, and that of a very coarse type. He regards it as the veriest trash. The librarian and the other members of the committee entertain similar views, characterizing it as rough, coarse and inelegant, dealing with a series of experiences not elevating, the whole book being more suited to the slums that to intelligent, respectable people." Read other press items HERE. Challenged in the Normal, Illinois Community high school’s sophomore literature class in 2003 as being degrading to African Americans. Pulled from the reading lists at the three Renton, Washington high schools in 2004 after an African American student said the book degraded her and her culture. The novel, which is not required reading in Renton schools but is on a supplemental list of approved books, was eventually retained for classroom usage. Pulled from classes in Taylor, Michigan, schools [2006] because of complaints about its liberal use of common racial slurs. Challenged as required reading at Cactus High in Peoria, Arizona [2006]. The student and mother have threatened to file a civil-rights complaint because of alleged racial treatment, the segregation of the student, and the use of a racial slur in the classroom. Challenged in the Lakeville, Minnesota High School [2007] and St. Louis Park High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota [2007] as required reading for sophomores. Retained in the Manchester, Connecticut School District [2008] with the requirement that teachers attend seminars on how to deal with issues of race before teaching the book in their classrooms.)

The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby (2002) by Dav Pilkey (Challenged, but retained in the Riverside, California Union School District classrooms and libraries in 2003 despite a complaint of the book's "inappropriate scatological storyline.")

Aesop's Fables by Aesop (According to the legend, the Greek slave and storyteller was flung from the cliffs at Delphi for sacrilege.)

A Feast for the Seaweeds (1983) by Haidar Haidar (Banned in Egypt and several other Arab states, and even resulted in a belated angry reaction from the clerics of Al-Azhar University upon reprinting in Egypt in the year 2000. The clerics issued a fatwa banning the novel and accused Haidar of heresy and offending Islam. Al-Azhar University students staged huge protests against the novel, that eventually led to its confiscation. -- wikipedia.)

The Affluent Society (1958) by John Kenneth Galbraith ("I will do anything to thwart permissive liberalism." They should be "balanced by at least four books with conservative viewpoints.")

After the First Death (1979) by Robert Cormier.

The Age of Reason (1794) by Thomas Paine (More than one publisher was prosecuted for printing this book, which argues for Deism and against Christianity and Atheism. "Blasphemous." Theodore Roosevelt called Paine "a filthy little atheist.")

The Agony of Alice (1985) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Alan and Naomi (1977) by Myron Levoy ("Has a sad ending.")

Alas, Babylon (1959) by Pat Frank.

The Alfred Summer (1980) by Jan Slepian.

Alice Alone (2001) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Alice in April (1993) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Alice In-Between (1994) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Alice in Jeopardy (2005) by Ed McBain (Evan Hunter) (Challenged at the Sno-Isle Libraries in Arlington, Washington [2006] because of "curse words and graphic sex scenes.")

Alice in Lace (1996) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Banned from the Webb City, Missouri school library in 2002 because the book promotes homosexuality and "discusses issues best left to parents.")

Alice in Rapture, Sort Of (1989) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Alice On Her Way (2005) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Restricted to students who have parental consent at the Icicle River Middle School library in Leavenworth, Washington [2008] due to its depiction of sexuality. Parents challenged the book's use of classroom reading because of 'two cuss words'.)

Alice on the Outside(1999) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor ("Sexually explicit.")

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll ("Contains expletives, references to masturbation and sexual fantasies, and derogatory characterizations of a teachers and of religious ceremonies." "Animals should not use human language, and that it was disastrous to put animals and human beings on the same level." Banned in Hunan, China beginning in 1931 for its portrayal of anthropomorphized animals acting on the same level of complexity as human beings. The censor General Ho Chien believed that this insulted humans.)

All But Alice (1992) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor ("Alice and her brother discuss song lyrics dealing with sexual activities including necrophilia.")

All the King's Men (1946) by Robert Penn Warren (Challenged in Dallas Texas in 1974: "depressing view of life" "immoral situations.")

All the Pretty Horses (1992) by Cormac McCarthy ("Vulgar language, sexual explicitness, and violent imagery that is gratuitously employed.")

Alt Ed (2003) by Catherine Atkins (Challenged as an optional reading in a bullying unit at the Lake Oswego, Oregon Junior High School [2007] because the novel is "peppered with profanities, ranging from derogatory slang terms to sexual encounters and violence." Students are given a list of book summaries and a letter to take to their parents. Four of the 8 optional books offered are labeled as having "mature content/language.")

Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned (1998) by Walter Mosley.

Always Running La Vida Loca: Gang Days in LA (1993) by Luis J. Rodriguez (Challenged, but retained in three Beyer High School classrooms in Modesto, California in 2003 despite complaints that the book is “pornographic.” The decision reversed the actions of district administrators who had removed the book in early November, 2003. The book won the Chicago Sun Times Carl Sandburg Literary Award and was designated as a New York Times notable book. "Violence and sex." "Pornographic and offensive in its stereotyping of Latinos.")

The Amazing Bone (1976) by William Steig.

America (2002) by E.R. Frank (Challenged in the Ravenna, Ohio schools [2007] because, "What we kept finding and going over was sexual content and profanity," said the complainant. The novel has received several awards including the New York Times Notable Book Award. It was also a Garden State Teen Book Award nominee.)

America (the Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction: With a Forward by Thomas Jefferson (2004) by Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin, and David Javerbaum ("Supreme Court is shown naked.")

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1969; 1980; 1992) ("Objectionable words." "Has slang definitions for words such as bed, knocker, and balls.")

American Psycho (1991) by Bret Easton Ellis (Was originally to be published by Simon and Schuster, but they withdrew after protests from the National Organization of Women calling the book "dangerously misogynistic." The New York Times headlined a review of the book "Don't Buy This Book." Sale and purchase of this book was banned in the Australian State of Queensland. It is now only available for people aged 18 and older.)

Am I Blue?: Coming Out From the Silence (1994) edited by Marian Dane Bauer ("Sexual identity confusion and gay fairy-godfather.")

The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimeaus Trilogy, Book 1) (2003) by Jonathan Stroud (Restored by the Lackawanna, New York school board [2008] following accusations of censorship by some parents and teachers. The book was pulled from the middle school library recommended list because of concerns that the book deals with the occult.)

(B) Analects by Confucius (551 -- 479 BC) (The first ruler of the Chin Dynasty ordered all books relating to the teachings of Confucius burned. Oh, and he had hundreds of followers of Confucius buried alive [250 BC]. When Confucian books and scholars were burned by Qin dynasty officials, a single copy of the sage's works was saved in the state library.)

(B) An American Tragedy (1925) by Theodore Dreiser ("deals with low love affairs".)

And Tango Makes Three (2005) by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell ("Homosexuality." "Anti-family." "Unsuited to age group." "Religious viewpoint." "Anti-ethnic." "Sexism." Moved from the children's fiction section to children's nonfiction at two Rolling Hill's Consolidated Library's branches in Savannah and St. Joseph, Missouri [2006] after parents complained it had homosexual undertones. The illustrated book is based on a true story of two male penguins who adopted an abandoned egg at New York City's Central Park in the late 1990s. Challenged at the Shiloh, Illinois Elementary School library [2006]. A committee of school employees and a parents suggested that the book be moved to a separate shelf, requiring parent permission before checkout. The school's superintendent, however, rejected the proposal and the book remained on the library shelf. Pulled from four elementary school libraries in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina [2006] after a few parents and Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bill James questioned the controversial but true story. The books were returned after the local paper questioned the ban. It should be noted that there was no formal request for the book's removal. Returned to the general circulation shelves in the sixteen elementary school libraries in Loudoun County, Virginia [2008] despite a complaint about its subject matter. Withdrawn from two Bristol, England primary schools [2008] following objections from parents who claimed the book was unsuitable for children and that they had not been consulted on their opinions. Challenged but retained at the Eli Pinney Elementary School in Dublin, Ohio [2008] despite a parents concerns that the book "is based on one of those subjects that is best left to be discovered by students at another time or in another place." Challenged in the elementary school library in Ankemy, Iowa [2008] by parents who do not want their children to read the story due to the concern that it promotes homosexuality. On December 15, 2008, the Ankeny school board members voted six to one to keep the book. Retained in the Chico, California Unified School District [2008] over complaints that the book is inappropriate for elementary school students. The district review committee determined that the book meets library selection standards and district policy. Retained by the Calvert County Library in Prince Frederick, Maryland [2008] after requests that the book be removed from the children's section and shelved in a labeled alternative section. Retained in the Meadowview Elementary School in Farmington, Minnesota [2008] despite a parent's concern that "a topic such as sexual preference does not belong in a library where it can be obtained by young elementary students." Challenged at the Lodi, California Public Library [2007] by a resident deriding what she called its "homosexual story line that has been sugarcoated with cute penguins." Challenged, but retained in the North Kansas City, Mo. schools [2009] despite a parent’s concern that the book wasn’t age-appropriate, didn’t follow the district’s policy on human sexuality education, and tries to indoctrinate children about homosexuality. In subsequent discussions, the schools appear to be headed towards segregating elementary school libraries according to “age appropriateness.” Students might be restricted to view or check out materials in their own age-class or younger.)

Angaray (1936) by Sajjad Zaheer (Banned in India in 1936 by the British government.)

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging (1999) by Louise Rennison (Retained with limited access at the Maplewood Middle School Library in Menasha, Wisconsin [2008]. The coming of age novel, which has sexual content, was found offensive by a parent. In addition to retaining the book, board members voted unanimously to adopt procedures intended to secure and record parental consent before limited access books are released to students.)

Animal Dreams (1990) by Barbara Kingsolver ("Vulgar language, sexual explicitness, and violent imagery that is gratuitously employed." Challenged in the Manheim Township, Pennsylvania schools [2007] due to sexual references. The book was moved from ninth-grade English curriculum to the eleventh-grade curriculum.)

Animal Farm: A Fairy Story (1945) by George Orwell ("Anti-Stalin theme." "Religious reasons." "Orwell was a Communist." Publication was delayed in the UK due to anti-Stalin theme, confiscated in Germany by Allied troops, banned in 1946 in Yugoslavia, also banned in Kenya in 1991 because it criticizes corrupt leaders. Banned in the United Arab Emirates in 2002 because it contained text or images that go against Islamic values, most notably the occurrence of an anthropomorphic, talking pig.)

Anna Karenina (1873 to 1877; published in installments) by Leo Tolstoy.

Anne Frank: the Diary of a Young Girl (1947) by Anne Frank ("Too depressing." "Sexually offensive passages." "A real downer." "Pornographic." Challenged at the Culpeper County, Va. public school [2010] by a parent requesting that her daughter not be required to read the book aloud. Initially, it was reported that officials have decided to stop assigning a version of Anne Frank’s diary, one of the most enduring symbols of the atrocities of the Nazi regime, due to the complaint that the book includes sexual material and homosexual themes. The director of instruction announced the edition, published on the fiftieth anniversary of Frank’s death in a concentration camp, will not be used in the future despite the fact the school system did not follow its own policy for handling complaints. The remarks set off a hailstorm of criticism online and brought international attention to the 7,600-student school system in rural Virginia. The superintendent said, however, that the book will remain a part of the English classes, although it may be taught at a different grade level.)

(B) Annie on My Mind (1982) by Nancy Garden (Challenged at the Cedar Mill Community library in Portland, Oregon in 1988 because the book promotes lesbian love and sex as normal. Challenged in the Colony, Texas public library in 1992 because it "promotes and encourages the gay lifestyle." Challenged because it "encourages and condones" homosexuality, but retained at the Bend, Oregon High School in 1993. Challenged but retained at the Lapeer, Michigan West high school library in 1993. Challenged at several Kansas City area schools in 1993 after the books were donated by a national group that seeks to give young adults "fair, accurate, and inclusive images of lesbians and gay men" -- at the Shawnee Mission school district the book was returned to general circulation; at the Olathe East High School the book was removed; protesters burned copies of the book but the Kansas City, Missouri school district kept the novel on the high school shelves. In Kansas City, Kansas, the school district donated the book to the city's public library; and in Lee's Summit, Missouri, the superintendent removed the book. The federal district court in Kansas later found the removal of the book unconstitutional and ordered it restored to the school district's libraries. Challenged, but retained at the Liberty, Missouri High School library and access to them limited to only students with written parental permission because of concerns about its content.)

Another Country (1962) by James Baldwin ("Sex perversion at its vilest.")

The Antagonists (1971) by Ernest K. Gann.

Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara.

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959) by Mordecai Richler.

(B) The Arabian Nights, or, The Thousand and One Nights (first English version: 1706) anonymous (Banned for decades from the US mail under the Comstock Law of 1873. Officially known as the Federal Anti-Obscenity Act, this law banned the mailing of lewd, filthy, obscene, or indecent materials. The Comstock laws, while now unenforced, remain for the most part on the books today. "Contained obscene passages which posed a threat to the country's moral fabric." "An extraordinary agglomeration of filth." "Promotes non-Muslim faith.")

A Raisin in the Sun (debuted on Broadway in 1959) by Lorraine Hansberry ("Racially degrading.")

Areopagitica: A Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing to the Parliament of England (1644) by John Milton (Banned in England for political reasons.)

Are You In the House Alone? (1976) by Richard Peck.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (1970) by Judy Blume ("Built around just two themes: sex and anti-Christian behavior." "Profane, immoral, and offensive.")

Arizona Kid (1988?) by Ron Koertge.

Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture (2000) by Michael A. Bellesiles ("Inaccuracy and political viewpoint.")

(B) The Art of Love (Ars Amatoria) (published in 3 books between 1 BC and 1 AD) by Ovid (Upon publication of this sly love manual, Ovid was banished from Rome. US customs banned this work in 1928.)

The Art of Loving (1956) by Erich Fromm.

As I Lay Dying (1930) by William Faulkner ("Seven passages that made reference to God or abortion and used such words as bastard, goddamn, and son of a bitch." Banned in Kentucky for language and for being anti-Christian "profanity and a segment about masturbation.")

Asking About Sex and Growing Up: A Question and Answer Book for Girls and Boys (1988) by Joanna Cole.

A Thousand Pieces of Gold: My Discovery of China's Character in the History and Meaning of Its Proverbs (2002) by Adeline Yen Mah (**)

Atkol Video Catalogue ("Carries gay titles.")

Atlas Shrugged (1957) by Ayn Rand.

Attack of the Mutant Underwear (2003) by Tom Birdseye (Removed from the Pinellas, Florida school district's Battle of the Books program [2006], although the book is on the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award list of books for third- through fifth-graders.)

Aura (1962) by Carlos Fuentes (Banned from the curriculum in Puerto Rican public high schools [2009] along with four other books because of coarse language. Written by one of Latin America’s most prominent contemporary writers, the novel contains a brief romantic encounter beneath a crucifix. It is a scene that prompted Mexico’s former interior secretary to try to have the book dropped from a reading list at his daughter’s private school, without success. Fuentes said that the attempt boosted sales of the book. The other titles banned were: Antologia personal, by Jose Luis Gonzalez; Mejor te lo cuento: antologia personal, 1978–2005, by Juan Antonio Ramos; Reunion de espejos, by Jose Luis Vega; and El entierro de Cortijo: 6 de octubre de 1982, by Edgardo Rodriguez Julia.)

Autobiography: A Reader For Writers (1977) by Robert Lyons.

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (1932) by Gertrude Stein.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (written as "Memoirs" between 1771 to 1790) by Benjamin Franklin.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman (1971) by Ernest J. Gaines (Challenged as an eighth-grade district-wide reading assignment in the Puyallup, Washington schools [2006] because "racial slurs and stereotyping are used throughout the book, as well as scenes of sex, rape, and implied incest." The Puyallup School Board voted to uphold an earlier decision by a district committee requiring eighth-graders to read the novel. In explaining their vote, each board member recounted the difficulty of balancing valid concerns on each side of the debate. "It wasn't a sole issue of dealing with racism or the 'n-word.'" "But it is our hope by giving them an explanation of the word and where it came from they'll understand its inappropriate to use it in the future.")

The Awakening (1899) by Kate Chopin ("Vulgar language, sexual explicitness, or violent imagery that is gratuitously employed." Retained in the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, Illinois [2006], along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet. First published in 1899, this novel so disturbed critics and the public that it was banned for decades afterward. Challenged at the Oconee County, Georgia library [2011] because the cover of the book shows a picture of a woman's bare chest and this upset the patron.)

The A-Z Dictionary of Serial Killers (1996) by Harold Schechter and David Everitt (Challenged and retained in the Hillsborough County, Florida school district in 2002 because of a parent's objection to the book's "gruesome details.")

READ BANNED Books!, part 1Books banned, challenged, or otherwise despised. Reasons, if any were provided, are in parentheses following the author. Books that are listed after a capital B (B) have also been burned in protest. This list should not be considered comprehensive. Books are listed alphabetically by title.

!!!! The reasons for challenging the books are NOT MY WORDS. Some reasons for banning have been taken from the American Library Association's banned book lists. Go to that site.

100 Questions and Answers about AIDS: A Guide for Young People (1992) by Michael Thomas Ford (AIDS.)

33 Snowfish (2003) by Adam Rapp.

1984 (1949) by George Orwell ("Pro-communist and sexually explicit material." "Study of communism." Banned by the Soviet Union in1950, as Stalin understood that it was a satire based on his leadership. It was nearly banned in USA and UK in the early 1960s duringthe Cuban Missile Crisis. It was not until 1990 that the USSR legalized the book and it was re-released after editing.)

13: Thirteen stories that capture the agony and ecstasy of being thirteen (2003) edited by James Howe.

(B) 95 Theses (written 1517) by Martin Luther ("Heretical, or scandalous, or false, or offensive to pious ears, or seductive of simple minds, or repugnant to Catholic truth, respectively." "A pestiferous virus." After the church burned his books, Luther burned the papal bull, copies of the canon law, and the papal constitutions, saying, "Since they have burned my books, I burn theirs." He was excommunicated. When he was asked to recant, he said, "Should I recant at this point, I would open the door to more tyranny and impiety, and it will be all the worse should it appear that I had done so at the instance of the Holy Roman Empire.")

100 Greatest Tyrants (1997) by Andrew Langley (Challenged in the Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia High School [2006] by a legislator who described the book as offensive and inappropriate for history students in any Australian school. The school principal refused to remove the book from the library, describing it as a useful resource for generating debate and critical thinking skills among students.)

50 Shades of Gray () by E.L. James

Books are listed alphabetically by title.

*Wording: "School officials said the book is too difficult for middle school students and that it could cause harassment against students seen with it." The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) alleged that this removal is "a pretext for viewpoint-based censorship," claiming that no other books considered more difficult (works by Shakespeare and Dickens) were removed for this reason. The ACLU contends that the school officials engaged in unconstitutional viewpoints removed the book because it contains gay and lesbian material.

**Parents Against Bad Books in Schools always uses the same wording when asking that a book be removed from the school system or library: "The book contains profanity and descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct, and torture."

Lajja (Shame) (1993) by Taslima Nasrin (Has created misunderstanding among communities. A fatwa was issued for Nasrin's death; she went into hiding. Banned in Bangladesh, and a few states of India for anti-Islamic sentiments. Apart from Lajja, Taslima's first four autobiographical volumes had also been banned in Bangladesh.)

The Land (2001) by Mildred D. Taylor (Removed from the Turner Elementary School media-center shelves in New Tampa, Florida [2008] as age-inappropriate. A parent challenged the book because the novel contains a racial epithet. The book was a 2002 Coretta Scott King Author Award recipient.)

Land of the Free: A History of the United States (1967) by John W. Caughey, John Hope Franklin, and Ernest R. May ("Very distasteful, slanted, and objectionable." "Negative." "Biased." "Racist." "Has numerous inaccuracies." "Runs America down.")

A Land Remembered (1984) by Patrick Smith (Challenged, but retained in the Indian River County Schools in Vero Beach, Florida in 2003 despite two parents' complaints about racially offensive language. One of the parents said the book's use of the "N-word" created a hostile learning environment for his children.)

The Last Battle (1956) by C.S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes.

The Last Book In the Universe (2000) by Rodman Philbrick (Banned in Bellevue Union School District, California due to content about gangs.)

Last Exit to Brooklyn (1964) by Hubert Selby, Jr. ("Obscene and pornographic." "The effect of reading the book was to horrify, shock, disgust, and nauseate.")

The Lasting Scar by Andrew Osmond (Banned from publication in the UK.)

The Last Mission (1979) by Harry Mazer (Bad words.)

The Last of the Wine (1956) by Mary Renault (Homosexuality.)

Last Tango in Paris (1972) by Robert Ailey.

The Last Temptation of Christ (1953) by Nikos Kazantzakis (Heretical, blasphemous.)

The Lathe of Heaven (1971) by Ursula K. LeGuin.

Laughing Boy: A Navajo Love Story (1929) by Oliver LaFarge.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier (2007) by Alan Moore (Challenged at the Jessamine County Public Library in Nicolasville, Ky. [2009]. A petition with 950 signatures was presented to the board to overturn its collection policy. The petition specifically asked for the removal of four works on the grounds that they “offended me in that they depict sexual acts and/or describe such acts in a way that in my opinion are contrary to the Jessamine County public opinion” of what should be in a public, taxpayer-supported collection. The petition concluded the works constituted a public safety issue in that they encourage sexual predators. In addition to Moore’s graphic novel, the other works challenged were Snuff, by Chuck Palahniuk, Choke, a DVD based on a novel by Palahniuk; and the DVD Ron White: You Can’t Fix Stupid. The graphic novel eventually got two employees fired for breaching library policies, the library director was threatened with physical harm, and the book was recatalogued, along with other graphic novels with mature trends, to a separate but unrestricted graphic novels section of the library.)

The Learning Tree (1963) by Gordon Parks ("Objectionable material, swearing, obscene language, explicit detail of premarital sexual intercourse, other lewd behavior, specific blasphemies against Jesus Christ and excessive violence and murder." "Indecent." "Contains vulgar and sexually explicit language, and descriptions of violent acts." Challenged on the summer reading list at LeFlore High School in Mobile, Alabama [2006] because the author frequently used inappropriate words, such as "nigga," "bitch," "bastard," and "ass.")

Leaves of Grass (1855) by Walt Whitman (This famous collection of poetry was withdrawn in Boston in 1881, after the District Attorney threatened criminal prosecution for the use of explicit language in some poems. The work was later published in Philadelphia. Obscene; too sensual.)

(B) Les Miserables (1862) by Victor Hugo (Listed in the Index Librorum Prohibitorum in Rome from 1864-1959; Voted out of a library in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania because it mentioned a grisette.)

Le Morte D'Arthur (1485) by Sir Thomas Malory (Junk.)

Lesbian Kama Sutra (2004) by Kat Harding (Restricted minors’ access in the Topeka and Shawnee County, Kans. Public Library [2009] because the organization Kansans for Common Sense contended that the material is “harmful to minors under state law.” Later the board voted 6–3 in favor of adopting a staff recommendation to keep the books where they are currently located on the shelves in the library’s Health Information Neighborhood section.)

A Lesson Before Dying (1993) by Ernest Gaines (Removed from the college book store at Louisiana College, Pineville, Louisiana in 2004 by the college president because a love scene described in the book clashes with the school's Christian values.)

Lessons from a Dead Girl (2007) by Jo Knowles (Johanna Beth) (Withdrawn from classroom use and the approved curriculum at the Montgomery County, Ky. High School [2009], but available at the high school library and student book club. Some parents have complained about five novels containing foul language and cover topics — including sex, child abuse, suicide, and drug abuse — unsuited for discussion in coed high school classes. They also contend that the books don’t provide the intellectual challenge and rigor that students need in college preparatory classes. The titles appeared on suggested book lists compiled by the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, for twelve- to eighteen-year-olds who are “reluctant readers.” The superintendent removed the book because it wasn’t on the pre-approved curriculum list and couldn’t be added by teachers in the middle of a school year without permission.)

Less Than Zero (1985) by Bret Easton Ellis.

Liberace (1994) by Raymond Mungo (Gay related themes.)**

The Life and Works of Renoir (1994) by Janice Anderson (Because of nude paintings in the book.)

Life is Funny (2000) by E.R. Frank (Sexually explicit; X-rated passage describing two teens' first experience with sexual intercourse.)

A Light In the Attic (1981) by Shel Silverstein (Challenged at the Cunningham Elementary School in Beloit, Wisconsin (1985) because the book "encourages children to break dishes so they won't have to dry them." Removed from the shelves of the Minot, North Dakota public school libraries in 1986 by the assistant superintendent "in anticipation of a parent's complaint." The superintendent found "suggestive illustrations" on several pages. Challenged at the Big Bend Elementary school in Mukwonago, Wisconsin in 1986 because some of Silverstein's poems "glorified Satan, suicide, and cannibalism, and also encouraged children to be disobedient." Challenged at the West AllisWest Milwaukee, Wisconsin school libraries in 1986 because the book "suggests drug use, the occult, suicide, death, violence, disrespect for truth, disrespect for legitimate authority, rebellion against parents," and because it inspires young people to commit "acts of violence, disbelief, and disrespect." Challenged at the elementary schools in the Papillion-La Vista School District in Omaha, Nebraska in 1986 because the book "promotes behavior abusive to women and children, suicide as a way to manipulate parents, mockery of God, and selfish and disrespectful behavior." Challenged at the Appoquinimink schools in Middletown, Delaware in 1987 because the book "contains violence, idealizes death, and makes light of manipulative behavior." Challenged at the Moreno Valley, California Unified School district libraries in 1987 because it "contains profanity, sexual situations, and themes that allegedly encourage disrespectful behavior." The poem "Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony" was banned from second-grade classes in Huffman, Texas in 1989 because a mother protested that it "exposes children to the horrors of suicide." Challenged at the Hot Springs, South Dakota elementary school in 1989 as suitable classroom material because of its objectionable nature. Challenged at the South Adams, Indiana school libraries in 1989 because the book is "very vile" and "contained subliminal or underlying messages and anti-parent material." Restricted to students with parental permission at the Duval County, Florida public school libraries in 1992 because the book features a caricature of a person whose nude behind has been stung by a bee. Challenged at the Fruitland Park Elementary School library in Lake County, Florida in 1993 because the book "promotes disrespect, horror, and violence." Challenged, but retained on the Webb City, Missouri school library shelves in 1996. A parent had protested that the book imparts a "dreary" and "negative" message. The poem “Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony” is morbid. Suggestive illustrations.)*

Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments, With Recipes, Romance, and Home Remedies (1989) by Laura Esquivel (Sexually explicit and inappropriate material.)*

Lily's Ghost by Laura Ruby (Removed from the Pinellas, Florida school district and Hillsborough County, Florida fourth-grade reading list [2006], although the book is on the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award list of books for third- through fifth-graders.)

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950) by C.S. Lewis (Challenged in the Howard County, Maryland school system in 1990 because it depicts "graphic violence, mysticism, and gore.")*

(B) Lisey's Story (2006) by Stephen King.

The Listeners (1971) by Christopher Pike.

Listen to the Silence (1995) by David W. Elliott.

The Literary Experience (2007) by Bruce Beiderwell and Jeffrey M. Wheeler, eds. (Retained in the Grand Rapids, Michigan Advanced Placement English classes [2007] despite considerations of returning the 1,846 page anthology to its publisher or clipping out about seventy pages with objectionable material, including a drama, "Topdog/Underdog" by Suzan-Lori Parks that contained profanity and descriptions of sexual activity.)

Literature and Society: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Nonfiction (textbook) (2006) by Pamela J. Annas and Robert C. Rosen (Uses the word 'nigger'.)

Little Black Sambo (1899) by Helen Bannerman (Banned in Japan -- 1988-2005 to quell "political threats to boycott Japanese cultural exports" even though the pictures were not those of the original version.)

The Little Foxes (1939) by Lillian Hellman.

Little House in the Big Woods (series 1932 -- 1943) by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Promotes racial epithets and is fueling the fire of racism.)*

Little House on the Prairie (1932 -- 1943) by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Challenged at the Lafourche Parish elementary school libraries in Thibodaux, Louisiana in 1993 because the book is "offensive to Indians." Banned in the Sturgis, South Dakota Elementary school classrooms in 1993 due to statements considered derogatory to Native Americans.)*

The Little Mermaid (1837) by Hans Christian Andersen.*

Little Red Riding Hood (1812) retold by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (An illustrated edition of this book was banned in two California school districts in 1989 because the book shows the heroine taking food and wine to her grandmother. The school districts cited concerns about the use of alcohol in the story.)*

Little Red Riding Hood (1983) retold by Trina Schart Hyman (Banned because Red carries a bottle of wine in her basket for grandmama.)*

The Little Red Schoolbook (1969) by Søren Hansen and Jesper Jensen (Several politicians in many countries criticized the book, fearing that it would erode the moral fabric in society and be an invitation for anarchy in schools. Banned in France and Italy. Subject of successful prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act, upheld by the Appeal Court and subsequently the European Court of Human Rights.)

Lives of Girls and Women (1971) by Alice Munro.

(B) The Living Bible (1946) by William C. Bower.

Living Dead Girl (2008) by Elizabeth Scott (Challenged, but retained at the Effingham, Ill. Helen Matthes Library [2009] despite concerns about its graphic content and the unsatisfactory ending. The book is about a fifteen-year-old’s perspective of living with her captor after being forcibly kidnapped and imprisoned at the age of ten. The book has received several accolades from book critics.)

Living By the Word: Essays (1988, first edition) by Alice Walker.

Lolita (1955) by Vladimir Nabokov ("Reflected moral disintegration and reviled humanity." "Pedophilia." "Sheer unrestrained pornography." "Even a single little girl was likely to be seduced as a result of its publication." "pedophilia and incest" "unsuitable for minors".)

The Lonely Girl (1962) by Edna O'Brien (Banned in Ireland in 1962 after Archbishop John Charles McQuaid complained personally to Justice Minister Charles Haughey that it was "particularly bad.")

Looking for Alaska (2005) by John Green (Challenged, but retained for the eleventh-grade Regents English classes in Depew, New York [2008] despite concerns about graphic language and sexual content. The school sent parents a letter requesting permission to use the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature novel and only three students were denied permission to read the book.)

The Lorax (1971) by Dr. Seuss (Challenged in the Laytonville, California Unified school district in 1989 because the book "criminalizes the forest industry." Banned from schools in parts of the US for being an allegorical political commentary.)*

Lord of the Flies (1954) by William Golding ("Racist terminology" "demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal" "excessive violence and bad language".)

(B) Lord of the Rings (1937 -- 1949) by J.R.R. Tolkien (Burned in Alamagordo, New Mexico in 2001 outside the Christ Community Church along with other Tolkien novels as satanic.)

Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin (2003) by John D'emilio (Has gay characters.)

The Lottery (1948) by Shirley Jackson (Banned in South Africa during Apartheid.)

Love and Other Four Letter Words (2000) by Carolyn Mackler (Talks about getting wasted.)

Love and Sex in Plain Language (1985) by Eric W. Johnson.

Love and Sex: Ten Stories of Truth (2001) by Michael Cart.

Love in the Time of Cholera (1985) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Love Is One of the Choices (1978) by Norma Klein.

The Lovely Bones (2002) by Alice Sebold (Challenged at the Coleytown Middle School library in Westport, Connecticut [2007]. The school superintendent acknowledged that the book is "for mature readers" and also acknowledged that "the book is appropriate to be part of a middle-school library collection serving students from ages 11--14, many of whom possess the maturity level to read this book. Moved to the faculty section of the John W. McDevitt Middle School Library in Waltham, Massachusetts [2008] because its content was too frightening for middle school students.)*

Lysistrata (411 BC) by Aristophanes (Banned for decades from the US mail under the Comstock Law of 1873. Officially known as the Federal Anti-Obscenity Act, this law banned the mailing of lewd, filthy, obscene, or indecent materials. The Comstock laws, while now unenforced, remain for the most part on the books today. The anti-war Lysistrata was banned again in 1967 in Greece, which was then controlled by a military junta.)

Baby Be-Bop (1995) by Francesca Block ("Homosexual agenda." "Discussion of sex, exploration of gay teen lives, and profanities." "There are just plain too many teenager-aimed books nowadays that have this sort of choppy, half-conscious, half-delirious, not quite stream of consciousness style of writing." "Offensive language." "Portrays an unconventional family." "Pervasive vulgarity and obsessive obscenities." Four Wisconsin men belonging to the Christian Civil Liberties Union sought $30,000 apiece for emotional distress they suffered from the West Bend, Wisconsin Community Memorial Library [2009] for displaying a copy of the book. The claim states that, "specific words used in the book are derogatory and slanderous to all males" and "the words can permeate violence and put one's life in possible jeopardy, adults and children alike." The CCLU called for the public burning of the book. Four months later, the library board unanimously voted 9-0 to maintain, "without removing, relocating, labeling, or otherwise restricting access," this and other books challenged in the young adult section at the library.)

Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism (2008) by Ha-Joon Chan (Banned for distribution within the South Korean military as one of 23 books banned beginning August 1, 2008.)

(B) Bambi: A Life in the Woods (1923) by Felix Salten (Banned in Nazi Germany because it was "a political allegory on the treatment of Jews in Europe." Many of the copies of the book were burned.)

Banned From Public Radio: Humor, Commentary, and Smart Remarks Your Government Doesn't Want You to Hear (1991) by Michale Graham.

Baseball Saved Us (1993) by Ken Mochizuki (Challenged, but retained on the second-grade reading list in the New Milford, Connecticut schools [2006] despite the fact the word "Jap" is used to taunt the main character in the book. The children's story is about the World War II Japanese-American internment.)

The Bastard (1974) by John Jakes.

Bastard of Istanbul (2006) by Elif Shafak (Prize-winning novelist went on trial in Istanbul, Turkey [2006], accused of belittling Turkishness. The novel had been at the top of Turkish bestsellers lists since its publication, but its treatment of the mass murder of Ottoman Armenians in 1915 angered government officials.)

Bastard Out of Carolina (1993) by Dorothy Alison.

Beach Music (1995) by Pat Conroy (Suspended from the Nitro High School, Kanawha County, West Virginia honors English and Advanced Placement Literature classes [2007] after parents complained about the book's scenes of violence, sexual assault, child rape, suicide, and more. A Kanawha County Board of Education member suggested the institution of a book rating system. Eventually the book was approved for return to the classroom, as long as students are offered alternate texts.)

The Bean Trees (1988) by Barbara Kingsolver ("Vulgar language, sexual explicitness, violent imagery that is gratuitously employed." Challenged at the William S. Hart Union High School District in Saugus, Calif. [2009] as required summer reading for the honors English program because the novel includes sexual scenes and vulgar language. Students have the option of alternative assignments that still meet objectives and teaching goals.)

Beautiful Retard (2002) by Matthew Hansen ("Offensive title.")

(B) Becoming Visible: An Illustrated History of Lesbian and Gay Life in the 20th Century (1998) by Molly McGarry, Fred Wasserman, and Mimi Bowling.

The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer (2002) by Gary Paulsen.

Before You Were a Baby (Let's Read-and-Find-Out Science) (1968) by Paul and Kay Showers.

Beijing Doll (2002) by Chun Sue.

The Bell Jar (1963) by Sylvia Plath *first published under the pen name Victoria Lucas ("Contains sexual material and advocates an objectionable philosophy of life." "Poor-quality literature and stresses suicide, illicit sex, violence and hopelessness." "Inappropriate because it spoke of a diaphragm and used profanity." "School decisions should be based on the absolutes of Christian behavior.")*

Beloved (1987) by Toni Morrison ("Offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group." Retained in the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, Illinois [2006], along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet. Pulled from the senior Advanced Placement English class at Eastern High School in Louisville, Kentucky [2007] because two parents complained that the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about antebellum slavery depicted the inappropriate topics of bestiality, racism, and sex. The principal ordered teachers to start over with The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in preparation for upcoming AP exams. Challenged in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho School District [2007]. Some parents say the book, along with five others, should require parental permission for students to read them.)

The Bermudez Triangle (2006) by Maureen Johnson (Challenged at the Leesburg, Florida Public Library [2009] because of sexual innuendo, drug references, and other adult topics.)

The Best Short Stories by Negro Writers (1967) by Langston Hughes.

Betrayed (2007) by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast (Challenged in the North Star Borough School District, Fairbanks, Alaska school libraries [2011] because, "It simply causes kids to think even more of things sexual." The teenage vampire novel is part two of the "House of Night" series.)

Be True to Your School: A Diary of 1964 (1964) by Bob Greene.

Between Lovers (2001) by Eric Jerome Dickey ("Homosexual agenda.")

The BFG (1982) by Roald Dahl.

(B) Bhavsagar Granth (2000?) by Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara (possibly other authors; or just edited by Bhaniara; controversial, unknown) (Banned in Punjab, India because it was deemed heretical by orthodox Sikhs.)

(Book AND Authors were burned) The Bible (William Tyndale, who partially completed translating the Bible into English, was captured, strangled, and burned at the stake (1536) by opponents of the movement to translate the Bible into the vernacular. "Not of the Muslim faith." In 1631, a misprint left the word 'not' out of the 7th commandment (thou shalt not commit adultery -- resulting in the "wicked Bible" edition. Many translations of the Bible were banned by the Index Librorum Prohibitorum in the Catholic church. Banned in the USSR for anti-religious reasons. Removed from numerous libraries and banned from import in the USSR from 1926 to 1956. Many editions of the Bible have also been banned and burned by religious and civil authorities throughout history. On July 1, 1996, in Singapore, a woman was convicted for possessing the Jehovah's Witness translation of the Bible. A 2000 US government report reported that Burma (Myanmar) bans all Bible translations into local indigenous languages.)*

Big River, Big Sea -- Untold Stories of 1949 (2009) by Lung Ying-tai.

Biko (1978) by Donald Woods ("Criticism of apartheid system." Banned in South Africa for it' criticism of white government.)

Black Beauty (1877) by Anna Sewell ("Racist." "Use of the word 'black' in title." Banned by South Africa's apartheid regime.)*

Black Boy: Record of Childhood and Youth (1944) by Richard Wright ("Vulgar language, sexual explicitness, violent imagery gratuitously employed." "Subversive." "Black Boy should be taken off the shelves of stores." "Sales should be stopped." "It was a damnable lie, from beginning to end." "It built fabulous lies about the South. The purpose of the book was to plant seeds of hate and devilment in the minds of every American. It was the dirtiest, filthiest, most obscene, filthy and dirty, and came from a Negro from whom one could not expect better." Banned in Mississippi; California; Nashua, NH; Island Trees, NY for being anti-catholic, anti-semitic, anti-Christian and obscene. Challenged in the Howell, Michigan High School [2007] because of the book's strong sexual content. In response to a request from the president of the Livingston Organization for Values in Education, or LOVE, the county's top law enforcement official reviewed the books to see whether laws against distribution of sexually explicit materials to minors had been broken. "After reading the books in question, it is clear that the explicit passages illustrated a larger literary, artistic, or political message and were not included solely to appeal to the prurient interest of minors," the county prosecutor wrote. "Whether these materials are appropriate for minors is a decision to be made by the school board, but I find that they are not in violation of the criminal laws.")

Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War (1999) by Mark Bowden (Removed from a classroom at Central Lafourche High School in Raceland, Louisiana [2008] for violating the district policy on cursing. The book is the story of a failed Special Forces mission in Somalia.)

(B) Black House (2001) by Stephen King.

Black Like Me (1960) by John Howard Griffin ("Obscene." "Integration centered, vulgar, filthy, and unsuitable for any age level." "Four-letter words." "Because it is obscene and vulgar and because of black people being in the book.")

Black Poets (1971) by Dudley Randall.

Blankets (2003) by Craig Thompson ("Mature themes of turbulent childhoods, strict religious upbringings, and homosexuality." Challenged in the Marshall, Missouri public library [2006] because the book was deemed "pornographic" by some members of the community. The book was moved to the adult book section, rather than the young-adult area where it had been shelved before.)

(B) Bless Me, Ultima (1972) by Rudolfo A. Anaya ("Profanity." “Pagan content.” Banned from the Orestimba High School's English classes in Newman California [2008] by the superintendent after complaints that the book is profane and anti-Catholic. Teachers claimed that the superintendent circumvented the district's policies on book challenges and set a dangerous precedent. The book is about a boy maturing, asking questions about evil, justice, and the nature of God.)

The Blind Owl (1937) by Sadegh Heydayat (The widely acclaimed Iranian classic, written in the 1930s, was banned in Iran [2006]. "The new government intends to take positive steps for reviving neglected values and considering religious teachings in the cultural field.")

Bling Bling: Hip Hop's Crown Jewels (2005) by Minya Oh (Retained with limited access at the Maplewood Middle School Library in Menasha, Wisconsin [2008]. The book for reluctant readers contains photographs and interviews with rap artists and focuses on how hip-hop taste for flashy jewelry typifies their musical and cultural evolution of the last 25 years. In addition to retaining the book, board members voted unanimously to adopt procedures intended to secure and record parental consent before limited access books are released to students.)

Blood and Chocolate (1997) by Annette Curtis Klause ("School district needs to review their policies.")

Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans (1984) by Terry Wallace.

Blossom Culp and the Sleep of Death (1986) by Richard Peck.

(B) The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution (1644) by Roger Williams.

Blubber (1974) by Judy Blume (Removed from all library shelves in the Montgomery County, Maryland elementary schools in 1980. Temporarily banned in Sunizona, Arizona in 1981. Challenged in the Des Moines, Iowa schools in 1983 due to "objectionable subject matter." Challenged at the Smith Elementary School in Del Val, Texas in 1983 because it contains the words "damn" and "bitch" and showed children cruelly teasing a classmate. Challenged at the Xenia, Ohio school libraries in 1983 because the book "undermines authority since the word 'bitch' is used in connection with a teacher." Challenged at the Akron, Ohio School District libraries in 1983. Restricted at the Lindenwold, New Jersey elementary school libraries in 1984 because of "a problem with language." Banned, but later restricted to students with parental permission at the Peoria Illinois School District libraries in 1984 because of its strong sexual content and language and alleged lack of social or literary value. Removed from the Hanover, Pennsylvania School District's elementary and secondary libraries in 1984, but later placed on a restricted shelf at the middle school libraries because the book was "indecent and inappropriate." Challenged at the Casper, Wyoming school libraries in 1984. Challenged as profane, immoral, and offensive, but retained in the Bozeman Montana school libraries in 1985. Challenged at the Muskego, Wisconsin Elementary School in 1986 because"the characters curse and the leader of the taunting of an overweight girl is never punished for her cruelty." Challenged at the Perry Township, Ohio elementary school libraries in 1991 because in the book, "bad is never punished. Good never comes to the fore. Evil is triumphant.")

The Bluest Eye (1970) by Toni Morrison (Challenged, but retained at the Kern High School district in Bakersfield, California in 2003 despite complaints of the book's sexually explicit material; objectionable language. Challenged in the Howell, Michigan High School [2007] because of the book's strong sexual content. In response to a request from the president of the Livingston Organization for Values in Education, or LOVE, the country's top law enforcement official reviewed the books to see whether laws against the distribution of sexually explicit materials to minors had been broken. "After reading the books in question, it is clear that the explicit passages illustrated a larger literary, artistic, or political message and were not included solely to appeal to the prurient interests of minors," the county prosecutor wrote. "Whether these materials are appropriate for minors is a decision to be made by the school board, but I find that they are not in violation of criminal laws." Retained in the Delphi Indiana Community High School's curriculum [2009] despite claims of inappropriate sexual content and graphic language.)

B-More Careful (2001) by Shannon Holmes.

The Body of Christopher Creed (2000) by Carol Plum-Ucci (Challenged but retained in the Appleton, Wisconsin Area School District 9th-grade curriculum [2010] despite concerns about age appropriateness.)

Bone (2004) by Jeff Smith (Retained in the Rosemount, Minnesota elementary school libraries [2010] despite a parent's concern that the series contains smoking, drinking, and gambling in its graphics and storyline.)

Bones in the Cliff (1995) by James Stevenson.

Bonnie Joe, Go Home (1972) by Jeannette Eyerly.

Bony Legs (1983) by Joanna Cole ("Magic and witchcraft.")

The Book of Bunny Suicides: Little Fluffy Rabbits Who Just Don't Want To Live Anymore (2003) by Andy Riley (Retained at the Central Linn High School library in Halsey, Oregon [2008]. The 2003 book depicts cartoon rabbits killing themselves in various ways, from sitting in front of a bobsled run to impaling themselves on Darth Vader's light saber. A parent complained about the book, saying initially she would burn it rather than return it. The story drew national attention and prompted readers to send the school district about 24 copies of the book.)

The Book of Mormon.

The Book of Phoebe (1985) by Mary-Ann Tirone.

The Bookseller of Kabul (2002) by Asne Seierstad (Challenged, but retained on Wyoming, Ohio high school district’s reading list [2009] despite concerns about its sexual content. After a second challenge to a different title, the district reviewed all books on reading lists. Staff members rated each book on its relationship to the course, its uniqueness, its appropriateness, and the extent to which it “could create controversy among students, parents, and community groups." Removed from Roosevelt High School's library and classrooms in Wyandotte, Michigan [2008] because it is "too sexually explicit.” The book is a nonfiction account of what life is like inside an Afghan household. The school said the book went through several reviews and was approved for high school students before being placed on the assigned reading list for the class.)

The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You to Read (1995) by Tim C. Leedom, Ed. ("Astrological and mythical origins of western religions.")

Borstal Boy (1958) by Brendan Behan (Banned in Ireland in 1958. Believed to have been banned because of its critique of Irish republicanism and the Catholic Church, and its depiction of adolescent sexuality. Also banned in Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand allowed it to be published there, after all, in 1963. -- wikipedia)

(B) Boston: A Documentary Novel of the Sacco-Vinzetti Trial (1978) by Upton Sinclair.

The Botany of Desire (2001) by Michael Pollan (Retained on the Buffalo Grove, Illinois High School [2006], along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet.)

The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them (2006) by E. Lockhart(Challenged in the Keller, Texas Independent School District [2009] because some say it is "too adult for young eyes.")

The Boy Who Lost His Face (1989) by Louis Sachar ("Unsuitable words." "Profanity, frequent use of obscene gestures, and other inappropriate subject matter." "The age level and use of some swear words may make it inappropriate to younger children.")

(B) The Brass Check (1919) by Upton Sinclair.

Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley (Challenged, but retained in the South Texas Independent School District in Mercedes, Texas in 2003. Parents objected to the adult themes -- sexuality, drugs, and suicide -- found in the novel. Huxley's book was part of the summer Science Academy curriculum. The board voted to give parents more parents more control over their children's choices by requiring principals to automatically offer an alternative to a challenged book. "Sordid, immoral, and obscene"; "depressing, fatalistic, and negative, and encourages students to adopt a lifestyle of drugs, sex, and conformity, reinforcing helpless feelings that they can do nothing to make an impact on their world;" "vilifies the family, sexuality, suicide, drugs." Retained in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho School District [2008] despite objections that the book has too many references to sex and drug use. Challenged at the North County High School in Glen Burnie, Maryland [2010] by a small group of parents who circulated a petition to have the book removed from use by county schools over concerns about explicit sexual content. Retained on the list of approved materials that Seattle, Washington high school teachers may use in their language arts curriculum [2011]. A parent had complained that the book has "a high volume of racially offensive derogatory language and misinformation on Native Americans. In addition to the inaccurate imagery, and stereotype views, the text lacks literary value which is relevant to today's contemporary multicultural society.")*

Breaking Boxes (2002) by A.M. Jenkins.

Brideshead Revisited (1944) by Evelyn Waugh ("Homosexuality.")

Bridge to Terabithia (1977) by Katherine Paterson (The Newbery Award winning book was challenged as a sixth grade recommended reading in the Lincoln, Nebraska schools in 1986 because it contains profanity, including the phrase 'Oh, Lord' and "Lord" used as an expletive. Challenged as suitable curriculum material in the Harwinton and Burlington, Connecticut school in 1990 because it contains language and subject matter that set bad examples and give students negative views of life. Challenged at the Apple Valley, California Unified School District (1992) because of vulgar language. Challenged at the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Area School District in 1992 because of profanity and references to witchcraft. Challenged and retained in the libraries, but will not be required reading at the Cleburn, Texas Independent School district in 1992 because of profane language. A challenge in Oskaloosa, Kansas in 1993 led to the enactment of a new policy that requires teachers to examine their required material for profanities. Teachers will list each profanity and the number of times it was used in the book, and forward the list to parents, who will be asked to give written permission for their children to read the material. Challenged in the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania schools in 1993 because of offensive language. Challenged at the Medway, Maine schools in 1995 because the book uses "swear words." Removed from the fifth grade classrooms of the New Brighton Area School District in Pulaski Township, Pennsylvania in 1996 due to profanity, disrespectful of adults, an elaborate fantasy world which might lead to confusion." Challenged in the middle school curriculum in Cromwell, Connecticut in 2002 due to concern that the book promotes witchcraft and violence. "Uses swear words and deals with sorcery." "References to witchcraft.")*

The Brimstone Journals (2004) by Ronald Koertge (Challenged but retained at the William Chrisman High School library in Independence, Missouri [2007]. A parent was concerned about profanity as well as some of the subjects discussed in the book.)

Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Las Vegas for Millions (2002) by Ben Mezrich ("Gambling." "Sexual content." "Prostitution.")

Brokeback Mountain (1997) by Annie Proulx.

Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? (1967) by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle (Bill Martin, Jr. was mistaken for Bill Martin [a philosophy professor at DePaul University in Chicago] who wrote a 2008 book called Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation. The State Board of Education in Texas, a la member Pat Hardy [R-Weatherford], cited that books by Bill Martin, Jr. [who died in 2004] wrote books for adults that contain "very strong critiques of capitalism and the American system." All of Bill Martin, Jr. books were banned.)

(B) Buddhist Holy Writs.

Bumps in the Night (1999) by Harry Allard.

Burger's Daughter (1979) by Nadine Gordimer ("Endangers the safety of the state." "Indecent." Banned in South Africa in 1979 for going against the government's racial policies but the ban was reversed in October of the same year.)

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1970) by Dee Brown ("If there is the possibility that something might be controversial, why not eliminate it?" "Slanted.")

Buster's Sugartime (2006) by Marc Tolon Brown (Challenged, but retained at the Union, Oklahoma district elementary school libraries [2009] despite a parent's complaint that the book features two same-sex couples and their children.)

Daddy's Roommate (1991) by Michael Wilhoite ("Legitimizes gay relationships." "A skillful presentation to the young child about lesbianism/homosexuality." "Vile, sick, and goes against every law and constitution." "Promotes a dangerous and ungodly lifestyle from which children must be protected." "Intent is indoctrination into a gay lifestyle." "Words are age inappropriate.")*

Dakar -- The Story of the Israeli Submarine Unit (1996) by Mike Eldar (The book was banned in 1997 by a district court, due to an alleged charge according to the "Official Secret Act" following the ban of Eldar's previous book, "Flotilla II" regardless of the fact it had been approved by the Israeli military censor and despite the fact that over 2000 copies had been sold. Eldar was accused of "espionage," his home was searched, his website was shut down, and his computer and documents were confiscated. Following a 4-year legal struggle, the book was released and all charges against Eldar were dropped.)

The Dallas Titans Get Ready for Bed (1988) by Karla Kuskin (Illustrates and converses about jockstraps.)

Dance On My Grave: A Life and Death in Four Parts (1982) by Aidan Chambers (Gay-positive themes)**

Dancing At the Rascal Fair (1987) by Ivan Doig (Challenged at the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho School District [2007] because sexual descriptions in the book were not appropriate. Some parents say the book, along with five others, should require parental permission for students to read them.)

Dangerous Girls (2003) by R.L. Stine.

(B) The Dark Half (1989) by Stephen King.

(B) The Dark Pilgrimage (1987) by Jakob Wasserman.

(B) The Dark Tower (series) (1982 -- 2012) by Stephen King.

Das Kapital (1867) by Karl Marx.

Daughters of Eve (1979) by Lois Duncan (Profanity; sexual content.)

The Da Vinci Code (2003) by Dan Brown (Banned in Egypt [2006]. The culture minister told Parliament, "We ban any book that insults any religion. We will confiscate this book." Parliament was debating the book at the request of several Coptic Christian members who demanded a ban because, "It's based on Zionist myth, and it contains insults towards Christ, and it insults the Christian religion and Islam." Banned in Iran [2006].)*

(B) The Dawn of Humanity (1919) by Kurt Pinthus.

The Day After Tomorrow (also known as Sixth Column) (1941) by Robert A. Heinlein (Removed from the Beardstown, Illinois High School Library [2008]. A parent requested its removal and a committee determined the novel "rather adult in nature" and, because the library already had a large selection of other valuable science fiction and spy literature, the committee elected to remove the book from the high school's curriculum and donated it to the public library.)

The Day No Pigs Would Die (1972) by Robert Newton Peck (Banned from the St. Lawrence School in Utica, Michigan [1997] because of a passage involving pig breeding. The teacher quit her job over the banning of the novel.)

Dead Birds Singing (1985) by Marc Talbert.

Dead Folks (1996) by Jon A. Jackson (Challenged in the Big Sky High School in Missoula, Montana [2009] because the local author's work was viewed as too graphic in its discussion of sex.)

Deadline (2007) by Chris Crutcher (Withdrawn from classroom use and the approved curriculum at the Montgomery County, Ky. High School [2009], but available at the high school library and student book club. Some parents have complained about five novels containing foul language and covering topics — including sex, child abuse, suicide, and drug abuse — unsuited for discussion in coed high school classes. They also contend that the books don’t provide the intellectual challenge and rigor that students need in college preparatory classes. The titles appeared on suggested book lists compiled by the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, for twelve- to eighteen-year-olds who are “reluctant readers.” The superintendent removed the book because it wasn’t on the pre-approved curriculum list and couldn’t be added by teachers in the middle of a school year without permission.)

Deadly Deceits (My 25 Years in the CIA) (1983) by Ralph McGheehee (CIA objected to 397 passages which delayed publication of this book for three years.)

The Dead Man in Indian Creek (1990) by Mary Downing Hahn (Challenged at the Salem-Keizer School District, Oreg. elementary schools [2010] because of the drugs and drug smuggling activities in the book. The book was previously challenged in 1994 in the same school district because of graphic violence, examples of inappropriate parenting and because it was too frightening for elementary students. The book has won awards from the International Reading Association, the Children’s Book Council, and the American Library Association.)

(B) Dead Zone (1979) by Stephen King.

Deal With It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a Gurl (1999) by Esther Drill ("Gay-positive themes." Challenged at the West Bend, Wisconsin Community Memorial Library [2009] as being "pornographic and worse than an R-rated movie." The library board unanimously voted 9-0 to maintain, "without removing, relocating, labeling, or otherwise restricting access" the books in the young adult category at the library. The vote was a rejection on a four-month campaign conducted by the citizen's group West Bend Citizens for Safe Libraries to move fiction and nonfiction books with sexually explicit passages from the young adult section to the adult section and label them as containing sexual material.)**

The Dear One (1991) by Jacqueline Woodson.

Death Be Not Proud (1949) by John Gunther.*

Death of a Salesman (1949) by Arthur Miller.

Death of a President, November 20 -- November 25, 1963 (1967) by William Manchester.

The Death of Lorca (1973) by Ian Gibson (Banned briefly in Spain.)

Deathwatch (1972) by Robb White.

(B) The Decameron (Prencipe Galeotto) (probably 1350 -- 1353) by Giovani Boccaccio (Banned for decades from the US mail under the Comstock Law of 1873. Officially known as the Federal Anti-Obscenity Act, this law banned the mailing of lewd, filthy, obscene, or indecent materials. The Comstock laws, while now unenforced, remain for the most part on the books today. Eight of the 100 stories are purely erotic, while the others deal with social criticism, the outwitting of someone by another, and criticism of nuns and priests; obscene, lewd, and lascivious book of indecent character.)

Decent Interval: An Insider's Account of Saigon's Indecent End Told By the CIA's Chief Strategy Analyst in Vietnam (1977) by Frank Snepp (Banned in the US because the author had published material that, as a former CIA employee, he was not allowed to publish.)

Deenie (1973) by Judy Blume (Challenged by a parent in the Spring Hill Elementary School district in Hernando County, Florida in 2003 due to passages that talk frankly about masturbation. The board decided to retain the title, but require students to have written parental permission to access the novel.)

(B) Delores Claiborne (1992) by Stephen King.

Desire Lines (1997) by Jack Gantos.

Desire Under the Elms (1958) by Eugene O'Neill.

(B) Desperation (1996) by Stephen King.

Detour For Emmy (1993) by Marilyn Reynolds.

The Devil: Opposing Viewpoints (1992) by Thomas Schouweiler (Challenged at the Chestnut Ridge Middle School in Washington Township, Pennsylvania in 2004. The complainants want the school district to seek parental approval before elementary and middle school students can check out books related to the occult.)

The Devil's Alternative (1979) by Frederick Forsyth.

The Devil's Discus (1964) by Rayne Kruger (Banned in Thailand in 2006.)

The Devil's Storybook (1974) by Natalie Babbie (Challenged at the Chestnut Ridge Middle School in Washington Township, Pennsylvania in 2004. The complainants want the school district to seek parental approval before elementary and middle school students can check out books related to the occult.)

Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican (1632) by Galileo Galilei (Banned by Pope Urban VIII for heresy and breach of good faith (1633); an Inquisition verdict of Galileo said that he was "vehemently suspected of heresy, namely of having believed and held the doctrine which is false and contrary to the sacred and divine scriptures that the sun is the center of the world and does not move from East to West and that the earth moves and is not the center of the world and that an opinion may be held and defended as probable after it has been declared and defined to be contrary to Holy Scripture." Galileo recanted: "With sincere heart and unpretended faith I abjure, curse, and detest the aforesaid errors and heresies and also every other error and sect whatever, contrary to the Holy Church, and I swear that in the future I will never again say or assert verbally or in writing, anything that might cause a similar suspicion toward me." And then he muttered, "And yet it [the earth] moves.")

Dictionary of Modern Serbo-Croatian Language by Miloš Moskovljević (Banned in Yugoslavia by court order in 1966 at request of Mirko Tepavac, because "some definitions can cause disturbance among citizens." -- wikipedia)

Did Six Million Really Die? (1974) by Ernst Zundel (In the 1980s, Ernst Zundel was convicted twice under Canada's "false news" law for publishing this book, a 1974 book denying the Holocaust. On appeal, the Canadian Supreme Court found the false news law unconstitutional in 1992, but Zundel was then prosecuted under Canada's "Human Rights Act" for publishing this book and other material. Previously banned in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and most of mainland Europe, Germany, and Austria in particular, for Holocaust denial.)

(B) Different Seasons (1982) by Stephen King ("Oral sex and prison rape scenes." "It does not meet the standards of the community.")

Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dumphrey (1996) by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Banned from the Galt Joint Union Elementary School district classrooms in Sacramento, California in 2003 and restricted to students with parental permission in the middle school libraries. The novel discusses parental neglect, sexual harassment at an after-school job, and other stresses experienced by the young adult fictional character; risqué themes and language. The book is on the American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults.)*

Doris Day: Her Own Story (1975) by Doris Day and A.E. Hotchner.

Double Date (1994) by R.L. Stine (Removed from the Crawford, County Georgia Middle School in 2003 because the book deals with complex issues that teenagers confront.)

Down These Mean Streets (1967) by Piri Thomas.

Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker (The book contains unacceptable descriptions in the introduction, such as ‘Dracula is the symptom of a wish, largely sexual, that we wish we did not have.")*

Dragon Ball: The Monkey King by Akira Toriyama (Removed from the Wicomico County, Md. school media centers [2009] because the Japanese graphic novels depict some violence and show nudity.)

Dragonwings (1975) by Lawrence Yep (Challenged at the Apollo-Ridge schools in Kittanning, Pennsylvania (1992) because of the frequent use of the word 'demon' in the book. The Newbery Award winning book might encourage children to "commit suicide because they think that they can be reincarnated as something or someone else." On September 15, 1992, Judge Joseph Nickleach denied a request seeking to ban the book from the district's curriculum. In his opinion, Nickleach wrote: "The fact that religions and religious concepts are mentioned in school does not automatically constitute a violation of the establishment clause." Graphic violence, profanity, reference to demons and prostitution, and alcohol and drug use depicted in a positive light.)

Drama (2014) by Raina Telgemeiser (sexually explicit)

(B) The Drawing of the Three (1987) by Stephen King.

Draw Me a Star (1992) by Eric Carle (Challenged in the elementary school libraries in the Edmonds, Washington School District in 1996. The book is illustrated with highly stylized representations of a naked woman and man.)*

(B) Dreamcatcher (2001) by Stephen King.

Dreamland (2000) by Sarah Dessen.

Droll Stories (1823--1837) by Honore de Balzac (Banned for obscene material of a sexual nature in Canada in 1914 and Ireland in 1953; the ban was lifted in Ireland in 1967. -wikipedia)

The Drowning of Stephan Jones (1997) by Bette Greene ("Gay-positive themes" "Pervasive vulgarity and obsessive obscenities." "Condones illegal activities." "[Book] is like a rattlesnake that needed to be killed right then and right there.")**

Druids (1991) by Morgan Llwelyn (Depictions of oral sex and rape.)

Dry White Season (1979) by Andre Brink (Anti-apartheid.)

Dwikhandita (Split in Two) (2003) (Published in Bangladesh under the title Ka) by Taslima Nasrin.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (2003) by Carolyn Mackler (Sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, and unsuited to age group.)

Earth's Children (1980) by Jean M. Auel.

Earth Science (textbook) ("Teaches the theory of evolution exclusively. It completely avoids any mention of Creationism ...The evolutionary propaganda also underminds {sic} the parental guidance and teaching the children are receiving at home and from the pulpits.")

East of Eden (1952) by John Steinbeck (Ungodly and obscene.)*

Eat Me (1997) by Linda Jaivin (Removed from the Marion County Public Library in Ocala, Florida in 2003. The library director noted that the Australian best seller was removed because the library lacks a designated erotica collection and the novel met only three of 17 criteria used to evaluate books for acquisition. The county's Public Library Advisory Board recommended that the library director retain the novel. The board's vote was only a suggestion and the final decision went back to the library's director. In February of 2004, the director reversed her earlier decision, reinstated the novel, and stated that her personal dislike for the book overshadowed her objectivity and adherence to policy. "Sexually explicit.")

The Education of Harriet Hatfield (1989) by May Sarton ("About gays and lesbians." A teacher fired for refusing to remove the book.)

E for Ecstasy (1993) by Nicholas Saunders (Book is about the drug MDMA. Seized by Australian customs in 1994.)

The Egypt Game (1967) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (Shows children in dangerous situations, condones trespassing and lying to parents and ostensibly teaches about the occult. Challenged as part of a reading list in a fourth-grade class at Southern Hills Elementary School in Wichita Falls, Tex. [2009] because the book includes scenes depicting Egyptianworship rituals. The Newbery Award-winning book has been an optional part of the school district’s curriculum for years. “I’m not going to stop until it’s banned from the school district. I will not quiet down. I will not back down. I don’t believe any student should be subjected to anything that has to do with evil gods or black magic,” said the student’s father.)

Eight Seconds (2000) by Jean Ferris (Gay positive themes.)**

The Elephant's Child (1902) by Rudyard Kipling (Challenged in the Davenport, Iowa community school district in 1993 because the book is "99% violent." Throughout the book, when the main character, an elephant child, asks a question, he receives a spanking instead of answers.)

Ellen Foster (1987) by Kay Gibbons.

(B) El Senor Presidente (1946) by Miguel Angel Asturias ("Subversive." Banned in Guatemala because it went against the ruling political leaders.)

The Emperors Jones (1920) by Eugene O'Neill.

Empress of the World (2007) by Sara Ryan.

The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (2001) by Michael Newton (Challenged and retained in the Hillsborough County, Florida school district in 2002 over a parent's objections to the book's "gruesome details.")

End as a Man (1947) by Calder Willingham.

(B) Enola Gay (2000) by Mark Levine.

Erotic Innocence: The Culture of Child Molesting (1998) by James Russell Kincaid (Challenged, but retained in the Montgomery County, Texas library system in 2002 after a conservative Christian group, the Republican Leadership Council, characterized the book as "helping to lay the culture of child molesters and homosexuals.")

Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) by John Locke (Expressly forbidden to be taught at Oxford University in 1701.)

Essays (1580) by Michel de Montaigne.

(B) Established Beliefs of Epicurus.

(B) Etrusca Disciplina.

Existentialism and Human Emotions (1957) by Jean-Paul Sartre.

Exodus (1971) by Leon Uris.*

The Exorcist (1971) by William P. Blatty.*

Exploring Life Through Literature.

Extreme Elvin (1999) by Chris Lynch (Removed from the Crawford County, Georgia Middle School library in 2003 because the book deals with complex issues that teenagers confront.)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2005) by Jonathan Safran Foer (Challenged in the Richland, Washington School District [2010]. Used in 10th grade honors language arts class at Hanford High, the book tells the story of Oskar Schell, a boy whose father died in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. The book contains profanity, sex, and descriptions of violence.)

(B) The Eyes of the Dragon (1987) by Stephen King.

(B) Macbeth (between 1603 -- 1607) by William Shakespeare (In 1999, a teacher at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, Georgia required seniors to obtain permission slips before they could read this play. The School Board had pulled the play from school reading lists, citing "adult language" and references to sex and violence. Many students and parents protested the decision, which also included the outright banning of three other of Shakespeare's plays. "Obscene language.")*

The Making of Dr. Truelove (2006) by T.A. Baron (Removed from the Liberty High School in Bedford County, Virginia [2007] because of "sexual explicit content." Administrators pulled the book from the shelf after a parental complaint. While the school system's general policy on content challenges calls for a formal committee's review of the book, that policy was not followed.)

The Malay Dilemma (1970) by Mahathir bin Mohamad (Criticism of May 13 incident and UMNO. Banned in Malaysia for its criticism of UMNO and the May 13 incident. But the ban was lifted when Dr. Mahathir himself was made the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia.)

(B) Mammonart (1925) by Upton Sinclair.

Manchild in the Promised Land (1965) by Claude Brown ("Graphically realistic." "Filth and obscenity." "Violent, the language offensive, and women are degraded." "Students have no reason to understand life in a black ghetto.")

Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics (2004) by Paul Gravett (Removed from all branches of the San Bernardino County, California Library [2006] because "there are a couple of pretty graphic scenes, especially one showing sex with a big hamster, that are not especially endearing to our community standards.")

(B) Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (Communist propaganda.)

Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (1988) by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman (The Turkish Chief Public Prosecution Office decided to prosecute two publishers that released the book because it "degrades the Turkish identity and the Turkish Republic, and fuels hatred and discrimination among the people." The publishers could face up to six years in prison if found guilty.)

The Man Who Came To Dinner (1939) by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

(B) Mar Morto (1936) by Jorge Amado.

Marijuana Grower's Guide (1978) by Mel Frank and Ed Rosenthal (Challenged at the Teton County public library in Jackson, Wyoming in 2004 because "tax dollars are being used to purchase a how-to crime manual;" drugs.)

Marlene Dietrich (1994) by W.K. Martin.*

The Martian Chronicles (1950) by Ray Bradbury (Profanity and the use of God's name in vain.)

Martina Navratilova (1995) by Gilda Zwerman (The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California filed suit in Doe vs Anaheim Union High School District alleging that the removal is "a pretext for viewpoint-based censorship." The ACLU claims no other books have been removed from the library for similar reasons, even though several, such as works by Shakespeare and Dickens, are more difficult reading. The ACLU contends that the school officials engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination by removing the book because it contains gay and lesbian material. In March 2001, the school board approved a settlement that restored the book to the high school shelves and amended the district's policy to prohibit the removal of books for subject matter involving sexual orientation, but the book will not be returned to the middle school.)**

(B) Martin Eden (1909) by Jack London.

(B) The Mass Psychology of Fascism (1945) by Wilhelm Reich.

Mastering Multiple Position Sex (2009) by Eric Marlowe Garrison (Challenged, but retained at the Pataskala, Ohio Public Library [2009]. The library determined to implement a new juvenile library card. A parent or guardian will be able to sign off on the card, thereby restricting his or her child’s borrowing rights to juvenile materials.)

Mein Kampf (1925) by Adolph Hitler (Nazi; hate literature; banned due to anti-Nazi laws, however, possession and sale for historical reasons is legal in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Plans by German scholars to reprint as an academic treatise were rejected by the state copyright holders [2009], who said a new edition of the book could fuel support for far-right groups. The Bavarian authorities reaffirmed a sixty-four-year-old ban on the book after the Munich-based Institute of Contemporary History, or IFZ, applied for permission to reprint the work.)

Member of the Wedding (1946) by Carson McCullers (Not appropriate for younger schoolmates.)

Memoirs of Hecate County (1946) by Edmund Wilson ("The most salacious and lascivious work issued for indiscriminate circulation.")

Me, Penelope (2007) by Lisa John-Clough (Challenged in the middle school library in Tavares, Florida [2008]. The book is part of a collection that requires permission from the school librarian to check it out. Objections centered on the book's depiction of a sixteen-year-old who is dealing with the death of her brother and reference to sexual experimentation.)

Mephisto (1936) by Klaus Mann (In 1968, Gustaf Grundgens' adopted son Peter Gorski sued Nymphenburger Verlagsbuchhandlung, then the publisher of Mephisto in West Germany. The Federal Constitutional Court of Germany ruled that Grundgens' personal freedom (Article 2 of the Basic Law) was more important than the freedom of art (Article 5).)

(B) The Merchant of Venice (between 1596 and 1598) by William Shakespeare (Banned from classrooms in Midland, Michigan in 1980, due to its portrayal of the Jewish character Shylock. It was similarly banned in the 1930s in schools in Buffalo and Manchester, New York. Many of Shakespeare's plays were "cleansed" of crude words and phrases.)*

(B) The Meritous Price of Our Redemption (1650) by William Pynchon (The first book banned in the "New World." Pynchon was a leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony who, in 1636, founded the city of Springfield, Massachusetts beside the Connecticut River. He wrote this explicit criticism of Puritanism, published in London in 1650. His book was burned on the Boston Common. Pynchon was accused of heresy by the Massachusetts General Court. Pynchon transferred ownership of his lands to his son, and then left the New World to go back to England. -- wikipedia)

Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary edited by the Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff (Pulled from the Menifee, Calif. Union School District [2010] because a parent complained when a child came across the term “oral sex.” Officials said the district is forming a committee to consider a permanent classroom ban of the dictionary.)

A Message to Man and Humanity by Aleksandar Cvetković (Banned in Yugoslavia by court order in 1967 for "false and wicked claims, and enemy propaganda that supports pro-Chinese politics.)

The Metamorphosis (1915) by Franz Kafka (Banned in Nazi Germany.)

Meyebela: My Bengali Girlhood (1998) by Taslima Nasrin.

Mick Harte Was Here (1996) by Barbara Park (Inappropriate themes.)

(B) A Middle English Vocabulary (1922) by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1994) by John Berendt (Banned for just four days from the Beulah, North Dakota High School library [2008]. Two school employees followed school policy to request removing the book after their son brought it home from an accelerated-reading program, in which students could choose from a couple of hundred titles. The parents said that the 1994 runaway nonfiction best seller was too pornographic and at odds with student behavior promoted in the school handbook. The board reversed its decision at the encouragement of the board president, who said the board moved too fast and unleashed a possible court case it would never win. He said there might be more palatable alternatives, like creating a list of restricted books that parents have to approve before their children can check them out. A decision to review school policies and investigate less-restrictive means to control library books was approved by the school board.)

Midnight's Children (1981) by Salman Rushdie.

Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy (2007) by Ayesha Siddiqa (Banned for a short time in Pakistan.)

The Miller's Tale (~end of the 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer (Pornography and women's lib.)

Mirandy and Brother Wind (1988) by Patricia McKissack (Challenged at the Glen Springs Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida in 1991 because of the use of black dialect.)

(B) Mirror of the Polish Crown (1618) by Sebastian Miczynski (In the anti-Jewish riots in Cracow; it was burned by Sigismund III Vasa.)

(B) Misery (1987) by Stephen King.

Mission to Moscow (1941) by Joseph F. Davies (Communist propaganda.)

Mississippi Bridge (1990) by Mildred D. Taylor (Challenged, but retained at the Donahoe Elementary School library in Sandston, Virginia in 2001 despite objections of its "negative content and that it's riddled with prejudice." The novel, by a Newbery Medal award-winning author tells the story of a young black man who tries to save white passengers in a bus accident, despite being ordered to give up his seat to "white folks.")

Mississippi: Conflict and Change (1974) by James W. Loewen and Charles Sallis.

Miss Julie: A Naturalistic Tragedy (1888) by Johan August Strindberg.

Mister Roberts (1946) by Thomas Heggen.

Moby-Dick (1851) by Herman Melville (Challenges values within the community.)

Moll Flanders (1722) by Daniel Defoe (Banned for decades from the US mail under the Comstock Law of 1873. Officially known as the Federal Anti-Obscenity Act, this law banned the mailing of lewd, filthy, obscene, or indecent materials. The Comstock laws, while now unenforced, remain for the most part on the books today. )

Mom the Wolf Man and Me (1972) by Norma Klein.

Mommy Laid an Egg! or, Where Do Babies Come From? (1994) by Babette Cole (Moved to the children's section of the Camden County, Missouri library in 1998 because the book explains birth process from conception to delivery.)

The Moon is Down (1942) by John Steinbeck (Banned in Nazi Germany and Nazi-occupied countries during World War II. Distributed illegally by various resistance movements.)

More Joy of Sex (1975) by Alex Comfort (Sexual.)

A More Perfect Union: Why Straight America Must Stand Up for Gay Rights (1994) by Richard D. Mohr (Homosexuality destroys marriage and families; it destroys the good health of the individual and the innocent are infected by it.)

More Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark (1984) by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell ("Would cause children to fear the dark, have nightmares, and give them an unrealistic view of death." "Too scary." "Violence and cannibalism." "Unacceptably violent for children." "Shows the dark side of religion through the occult, the devil, and Satanism."; Retained in the Greater Clark County, Kentucky elementary school libraries [2006] despite a grandmother's request to ban the Scary Stories books written by Alvin Schwartz. She wanted all four or five volumes in the series banned because, she said, they depict cannibalism, murder, witchcraft, and ghosts; and include a story about somebody being skinned.)*

My Brother Sam is Dead (1974) by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier (Challenged at the Gwinnett County, Georgia School libraries in 1984 because some of its characters use profanity. An abridged version with the profanity deleted has been substituted in the elementary school libraries. Removed from the curriculum of fifth grade classes in New Richmond, Ohio in 1989 because the 1974 Newbery Honor book contained the words "bastard," "goddamn," and "hell" and did not represent "acceptable ethical standards for fifth graders." Challenged in the Greenville County, South Carolina schools in 1991 because the book uses names of God and Jesus in a vain and profane manner along with inappropriate sexual references. Challenged in the Walnut Elementary Schools in Emporia, Kansas in 1993 by parents who said it contained profanity and graphic violence. Removed from fifth grade classes at Bryant Ranch Elementary School in the Placentia-Yorba Linda, California Unified School District in 1994 because, "book is not G-rated. Offensive language is offensive language. Graphic violence is graphic violence, no matter what the context." Challenged due to its profanity and violence, but retained at the Palmyra, Pennsylvania area schools in 1994. Challenged in the Jefferson County Public Schools in Lakewood, Colorado in 1996 because of the "persistent usage of profanity" in the book, as well as references to rape, drinking, and battlefield violence. Retained in the Antioch, California Elementary school libraries in 1996 after a parent complained about the novel's profanity and violence. Retained in all Muscogee County, Georgia elementary school libraries [2009] despite a parent's concerns about profanity in the book.)

My Brother's Hero (2002) by Adrian Fogelin (Removed from the Hillsborough County, Florida fourth-grade reading list [2006], although it is on the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award list of books for third- through fifth-graders.)

My Friend Flicka (1941) by Mary O’Hara (Uses the word “bitch” to refer to a female dog, as well as the word “damn.”)

My Heartbeat (2002) by Garret Freymann-Weyr (Homosexual agenda.)**

My House (1972) by Nikki Giovanni.

My Losing Season (2002) by Pat Conroy..My Mom's Having a Baby (2005) by Dori Hillestad Butler (Challenged in the Carrollton, Texas library [2011] because it is inappropriate for children. The book won an Editor's Choice award from Bookfest in 2005 and was named a Top Ten Sci-Tech book for Youth by Booklist. Retained at the Hillsborough County, Florida Public Library System [2011].)

My Sister's Keeper (2004) by Jodi Picoult (Pulled from classrooms in Clawson, Michigan [2008] as too racy for middle school students. The novel is the story of a young girl who sues her parents because they want her to donate a kidney to her sister.)

I Am the Cheese (1977) by Robert Cormier ("Humanistic and destructive of religious and moral beliefs and of national spirit." "Offensive language." "Slyly casts doubt on the US government, parental authority, and the medical profession.")

I Been In Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All The Pots (1993) by Susan Straight.

Iceman (1994) by Chris Lynch.

The Idolators (1973) by William Hegner.

Iggie's House (1970) by Judy Blume.

I Have To Go (1987) by Robert Munsch.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) by Maya Angelou (Challenged as required reading for Hamilton, Montana freshman English classes in 2002. At issue were the scenes in which the author explores her sexuality through intercourse as a teenager and the depiction of a rape and molestation of an 8-year-old girl. Homosexuality is another theme explored in the book that has drawn criticism; racism, profanity; vulgar language, sexual explicitness, or violent imagery that is gratuitously employed. Retained in the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin High school sophomore advanced English class [2006]. Parents objected to teens reading Angelou's account of being brutally raped by her mother's boyfriend and an unwanted pregnancy later in life. Parents will receive notification and be allowed to decide whether or not they approve of its use by their children, according to recommendations agreed upon by a review committee and parents who objected to the use of the book. Challenged in the Manheim Township, Pennsylvania schools [2007] due to sexual references. The book was retained in the ninth-grade English curriculum, but it was decided to teach the book later in the school year, after a public forum was held with parents to discuss the book and the entire literary canon of the English department. Challenged in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho School District [2007]. Some parents say the book, along with five others, should require parental permission for students to read them. Restricted to students with parental permission at the Ocean View School District middle school libraries [2009] because the "book's contents were inappropriate for children." Challenged in the Newman-Crows Landing, California School District [2009] on a required reading list presented by the Orestimba High English Department. A trustee questioned the qualifications of Orestimba staff to teach a novel depicting African American culture.)* **

I Like Guys: A Short Story from Naked (1997) by David Sedaris (Pulled from a Litchfield, N.H. Campbell High School elective course classroom [2009] after parents voiced their concerns about a short-stories unit called “Love/Gender/Family Unit” that dealt with subject matters including abortion, cannibalism, homosexuality, and drug use. The parents said the stories promoted bad behavior and a “political agenda” and they shouldn’t be incorporated into classroom teachings. The Campbell High School English curriculum adviser said the short story was selected not only for its tone and style, but also its message of respect and acceptance, not for advocating homosexuality. The English curriculum adviser eventually resigned.)

The Illustrated Guide to Extended Massive Orgasm (2002) by Steve Bodansky (Wanna wager a bet on a guess why this one is banned? Challenged, but retained in the Marple public library in Broomall, Pennsylvania in 2004 along with several sexual instruction manuals including: The Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein and Edmund White; Great Sex Tips by Anne Hooper; Ultimate Guide to Fellatio by Violet Blue; and Sex Toys 101: A Playfully Uninhibited Guide by Rachel Venning because the books are "seriously objectionable in text and pictures due to the sexually explicit material.")

I Love You, Stupid (1981) by Harry Mazer.

I'm Mad At You: Verses (1978) compiled by William Cole.

Impressions (HOW I Wonder) (1984) by Jack Booth.

In a Dark Dark Room And Other Scary Stories (1985) by Alvin Schwartz (Too morbid for children.)

In Cold Blood (1966) by Truman Capote *

In Country (1985) by Bobbie Ann Mason (Retained in the Delphi, Indiana Community High School's curriculum [2009] despite claims of inappropriate sexual content and graphic language.)

Indian in the Cupboard (1980) by Lynne Reid Banks (The school librarian at the Suwannee County, Florida Elementary School in 1993 routinely erased words from books deemed objectionable. In this instance, the words "hell" and "heck" were removed. Removed from the Bemidji Minnesota school district voluntary reading list and from the school library shelves in 1995 because it contains subtle stereotypes inconsistent with district diversity goals.)*

In Dubious Battle (1936) by John Steinbeck.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1964) by Joanne Greenburg.

Infallible? An Inquiry (1970) by Hans Kung.

(B) The Inferno (1308 -- 1321) by Dante (Ciardi translation).**

Inside Russia Today (1957) by John Gunther.

(B) Insomnia (1994) by Stephen King.

(B) Interpretation(s) by Upton Sinclair.

In the Company of Crazies (2006) by Nora Raleigh Baskin (Banned in Catoosa City, Georgia middle schools.)

In the Country of Ourselves (1971) by Nat Hentoff.

In the Heat of the Night (1965) by John Ball.

In the Middle of the Night: The Shocking True Story of a Family Killed in Cold Blood (2009) by Brian McDonald (Challenged at the Cheshire, Conn. Public Library [2009]. McDonald’s book revisits 2007, when Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes allegedly invaded the Cheshire home of Dr. William Petit, beating him with a baseball bat and raping, torturing, and murdering his wife and two daughters. Complainants want the book kept off the library shelves until the men accused of the crime have been tried.)

In the Night Kitchen (1970) by Maurice Sendak (Removed from the Norridge, Illinois School library in 1977 due to "nudity for no purpose." Expurgated in Springfield Missouri in 1977 by drawing shorts on the nude boy. Challenged at the Cunningham Elementary School in Beloit, Wisconsin in 1985 because the book desensitizes children to nudity. Challenged at the Robeson Elementary School in Champaign, Illinois in 1988 because of nudity. Challenged at the Elk River, Minnesota schools in 1992 because reading the book "could lay the foundation for future use of pornography." Challenged at the El Paso, Texas public library in 1994 because "the little boy pictured did not have any clothes on and it pictured his private area." Challenged in the Wake County, North Carolina schools [2006]. Parents are getting help from Called2Action, a Christian group that says its mission is to "promote and defend our shared family and social values.")*

In the Rabbit's Garden (1975) by Leo Lionni (Challenged at the Naas Elementary School library in Boring, Oregon in 1986 because the story about two rabbits living in a lush garden paradise make a mockery of the Bible's tale of Adam and Eve. Unlike the story of Adam and Eve, Lionni rewards his bunnies for eating the forbidden fruit by allowing them to live happily ever after. "Shallow; manipulative." "Lacking in intelligence and responsibility.")

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse (1980) by Peter Matthiessen.

In the Time I Get (story in Athletic Shorts) (1989) by Chris Crutcher (AIDS.)

I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild's Pocket Book (1947) by Iona Archibald Opie and Peter Opie (Challenged at the Cedar Grove Elementary School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee [2007]. The complainant stated, "I understand that it is a book of poetry, but there is a fine line between poetry art and porn and this book's illustrations are absolutely offensive in every way." The book is a collection of schoolyard jokes, riddles, insults, and jump-rope rhymes and is illustrated by Maurice Sendak.)*

Islam: A Concept of Political World Invasion (2003) by R.V. Bhasin (Banned in Maharashtra, India in 2007 on the grounds that it promotes communal disharmony between Hindus and Muslims. -- wikipedia)

(B) It (1986) by Stephen King.

It's Not the End of the World (1972) by Judy Blume.

It's Okay If You Don't Love Me (1977) by Norma Klein.

It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health (1994) by Robie H. Harris (Challenged but retained in the children's section of the Mexico-Audrain County, Missouri library in 1997. A Baptist minister complained not only about the title, but also about other "material concerning sensitive family issues, such as sexuality, the death of a loved one, or the birth process. Challenged but retained at the Fargo, North Dakota Public library in 1997. The statement requested the book's removal cited the book as "too explicit, pornographic, and too easily accessible to children." Challenged but retained in the Montgomery County, Texas library systems in 2002 after a conservative Christian group, the Republican Leadership Council, characterized the book as "vulgar" and trying "to minimize or even negate that homosexuality is a problem." Relocated from the young adult to the adult section of the Fort Bend School District's media centers after a resident sent an e-mail message to the superintendent expressing concern about the book's content. The Spirit of Freedom Republican Women's Club petitioned the superintendent to have it, along with It's So Amazing, moved because they contain "frontal nudity and discussion of homosexual relationships and abortion;" sexually explicit; vulgar; marriage is mentioned once in the whole book, while homosexual relationships are allocated an entire section; sex education; Retained in the Lewiston, Maine Public Library [2008] after a patron refused to return the book due to her objections to its content. Other patrons donated four copies of the book, which remain in circulation in the library. The patron said she was "sufficiently horrified by the illustrations and sexually graphic, amoral, abnormal contents." A police investigation found the library did not violate the town ordinance against obscenity, and the patron who removed the book from the library will stand trial for theft.)*

It's So Amazing! A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families (1999) by Robie H. Harris, Michael Emberley (Relocated from the young adult to the adult section of the Fort Bend School District's media centers after a resident sent an e-mail message to the superintendent expressing concern about the book's content. The Spirit of Freedom Republican Women's Club petitioned the superintendent to have it, along with It's Perfectly Normal, moved because they contain "frontal nudity and discussion of homosexual relationships and abortion.")

I Was a Teenage Fairy (2000) by Frances Lia Block. (**)

Halloween ABC (1990) by Eve Merriam, Lane Smith (Challenged at the Douglas County Library in Roseburg, Oregon in 1989 because the book encourages devil worshipping. Challenged at the Howard County, Maryland school libraries in 1991 because "there should be an effort to tone down Halloween and there should not be books about it in the schools." Challenged in the Wichita Kansas public schools because it is "satanic and disgusting." Challenged at the Acres Green Elementary School in Douglas County, Colorado in 1992. Challenged but retained, but will be shelved in the Othello, Washington elementary school libraries in 1993 because the book "promotes violent criminal and deviant behavior. Challenged but retained at the Ennis, Texas public library in 1993. Challenged in the Cameron elementary school library in Rice Lake, Wisconsin in 1993. Challenged in the Spokane, Washington school district library in 1994 by a father who found the poems to be morbid and satanic. In particular, the parent disapproved of one poem which "appears to be a chant calling forth the Devil." Challenged in the Sandwish, Massachusetts public library in 1995 because it is too violent for young children. "Poems promote Satanism, murder, and suicide.")*

(B) Hamlet (~1599) by William Shakespeare (In 1999, a teacher at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, Georgia required seniors to obtain permission slips before they could read this play. The School Board had pulled the play from school reading lists, citing "adult language" and references to sex and violence. Many students and parents protested the decision, which also included the outright banning of three other of Shakespeare's plays. "Obscene language.")*

The Hammer of Eden (1998) by Ken Follett.

The Handmaid's Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood ("Sexual encounters." The Judson, Texas school district board overruled [2006] Superintendent Ed Lyman's ban of the novel from an advanced placement English curriculum. Lyman had banned the book after a parent complained it was sexually explicit and offensive to Christians. In doing so, he overruled the recommendation of a committee of teachers, students, and parents. The committee appealed the decision to the school board.)

Hang-ups, Hook-ups, and Holding Out: Stuff You Need to Know About Your Body, Sex, and Dating (2007) by Melisa Holmes, MD and Trish Hutchinson, MD (Retained in the Galway, New York Public Library [2008] after complaints about the book's "factual errors, philosophy, and perceived bias." A review of the book by the library determined that the book received excellent reviews and contained no factual errors.)

Happy Endings Are All Alike (1978by Sandra Scoppettone.

Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch (2007) by Jim Norton (Available upon request, but not placed in general circulation at the Jackson-George Regional Library system in Pascagoula, Mississippi [2007] after complaints that the comedian's best selling book is "garbage and doesn't belong in a library.")

The Happy Prince and Other Stories (1888) by Oscar Wilde (Distressing and morbid.)

Harriet the Spy (1964) by Louise Fitzhugh (Teaches children to spy.)

Harris and Me (1993) by Gary Paulsen (Restricted at the Icicle Middle School library in Leavenworth, Washington for almost a decade [2008].)

(B) Harry Potter (series) (1997 -- 2007) by J.K. Rowling ("Tells kids that lying, cheating, and stealing are cute and acceptable." "A masterpiece of Satanic deception." "Witchcraft." "Stupid." "Homosexuality." "Profanity." "Anti-Christian." "A filthy, filthy book." "Have a serious tone of death, hate, lack of respect, and sheer evil." "Contain lying and smart-aleck retorts to adults." Proposed for removal, along with 50 other titles by a teachers' prayer group at the high school in Russell Springs, Kentucky in 2002 because the book deals with ghosts, cults, and witchcraft. Parents of a Cedarville, Arkansas fourth grader (2002) filed a federal lawsuit challenging restricted access to the books-- students are required to present written permission from a parent to borrow the books; the novel was originally challenged because it characterizes authority as "stupid" and portrays "good witches and good magic." A federal judge overturned this restriction. Challenged in Moscow, Russia in 2002 by a Slavic cultural organization that alleged the stories about magic and wizards could draw students into Satanism. Challenged but retained in the New Haven, Connecticut schools in 2003 despite claims the series "makes witchcraft and wizardry alluring to children." The Gwinnet County, Georgia school board, in 2006, rejected a parent's pleas to take Harry Potter books out of school libraries, based on the claim that they promote witchcraft. The Georgia Board of Education ruled December 14 that the parent had failed to prove her contention that the series "promotes the Wicca religion" and therefore that the book's availability in public schools does not constitute advocacy of a religion. On May 29, 2007, Superior Court judge Ronnie Batchelor upheld the Georgia Board of Education's decision to support local school officials. County school board members have said the books are good tools to encourage children to read and to spark creativity and imagination. Removed from the St. Joseph School in Wakefield, Massachusetts [2007] because the themes of witchcraft and sorcery were inappropriate for a Catholic school. Removed by the Wilsona School District trustees from a list recommended by a parent-teacher committee for the Vista San Gabriel California Elementary School library [2006] along with 23 other books. Trustees said one rejected book contained an unsavory hero who made a bad role model for children; another was about a warlock, which they said was inappropriate; and others were books with which they were unfamiliar and didn't know whether they promoted good character or conflicted with textbooks. Rejected titles included three bilingual Clifford the Big Red Dog books, Disney's Christmas Storybook, two books from the Artemis Fowl series, Beauty is a Beast, California: Welcome to the USA, and the Eye of the Warlock. The Wilsona School District board approved new library book-selection guidelines in wake of the trustee's controversial decision. Books now cannot depict drinking alcohol, smoking, drugs, sex, including "negative sexuality, implied or explicit nudity, cursing, violent crime or weapons, gambling, foul humor, and dark content.") Series includes Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Philosopher's Stone), 1997; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1998; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 1999; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2003; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2005; and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 2007)*

The Haunting of America: Ghost Stories From Our Past (1973) by Jean Anderson.

Headless Cupid (1971) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (Challenged at the Hays, Kansas public library in 1989 because the book "could lead young readers to embrace Satanism." Retained in the Grand Haven, Michigan school libraries in 1990 after a parent objected to the book because it "introduces children to the occult and fantasy about immoral acts." The Newbery Award-winning book was retained on the approved reading list at Matthew Henson Middle School in Waldorf, Maryland in 1991 despite objections to its references to witchcraft. Challenged in the Escondido, California school in 1992 because it contains references to the occult.)

The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight: More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1980) by Jack Prelutsky (Challenged at the Victor Elementary school media center in Rochester, NY in 1982 because it "was too frightening for young children to read.")

Headman (1975) by Kin Platt.

Heart of Darkness (1902) by Joseph Conrad.

Heather Has Two Mommies (1989) by Leslea Newman ("A skillful presentation to the young child about lesbianism/homosexuality." "The subject matter is obscene and vulgar and the message is that homosexuality is okay." "Vile, sick, and goes against every law and constitution." "Promotes a dangerous and ungodly lifestyle from which children must be protected." "We could put together a resolution to amend the Georgia state constitution to say that tax dollars cannot be used to promote homosexuality, pedophilia, or sadomasochism.")*

(B) The Heptaméron (1558) by Queen Marguerite of Navarre.

A Hero Aint Nothin' But a Sandwich (1973) by Alice Childress (Anti-American, immoral.)

Heroes (1998) by Robert Cormier.**

The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star (2007) by Nikki Sixx and Ian Gittins (Pulled from an optional supplemental reading list in an Advanced Placement psychology course in Brooksville, Florida Hernando High School [2010] because of complaints about explicit language, descriptions of drug use, and photos. Written by the former bassist for the band Mötley Crüe, it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug use.)

Hey Dollface (1989) by Deborah Hautzig (Gay-positive themes.)**

(B) The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in the Arab World (1980) by Nawal El Saadawi.

Hills Like White Elephants: A Short Story: The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway (1927) by Ernest Hemingway (Pulled from a Litchfield, N.H. Campbell High School elective course classroom [2009] after parents voiced their concerns about a short-stories unit called “Love/Gender/Family Unit” that dealt with subject matters including abortion, cannibalism, homosexuality, and drug use. The parents said the stories promoted bad behavior and a “political agenda” and they shouldn’t be incorporated into classroom teachings. The Campbell High School English curriculum adviser eventually resigned.)

(B) Hindu Holy Writs.

Hippolytus (428 BCE) by Euripides.

His Dark Materials (trilogy) (1995 -- 2000) by Philip Pullman.

(B) A History of Tom Jones. a Foundling (1749) by Henry Fielding.

Hit Man (1998) by Lawrence Block.

The Hoax of the Twentieth Century: The Case Against the Presumed Extermination of European Jewry (1976) by Arthur R. Butz.

House of Night (series) (2007 -- ) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (Banned at Henderson Junior High School in Stephenville, Texas Independent School District [2009]. The entire teen vampire series was banned for sexual content and nudity. Since the series has not been completed, "Stephenville ISD actually banned books that have not yet been published and perhaps even books that have yet to be written. There is no way the district could know the content of these books, and yet they have been banned.")

The House of the Spirits (1982) by Isabel Allende (Challenged, but retained in the advanced English classes in Modesto, California in 2003. The seven-member Modesto City School Board said administrators should instead give parents more information about the books their children read, including annotations of each text. Parents can opt their children out of any assignment they find objectionable. "Defames the Catholic faith and contains pornographic passages." "Immoral and sexually depraved." "Parents need more information.")

The House on Mango Street (1984) by Sandra Cisneros.

The House With a Clock in Its Walls (1973) by John Bellairs.

The House Without a Christmas Tree (1974) by Gail Rock. (Uses 'damn'.)

How Babies are Made (1968) by Andrew C. Andry and Steven Schepp.

How Do You Spell Abducted? (2002) by Cherylyn Stacey.

(B) How I Became a Socialist (1912) by Helen Keller.

Howl and Other Poems (1955) by Allen Ginsberg (The words and the sense of the writing is obscene -- you wouldn't want your children to come across it.)

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (1991) by Julia Alvarez (Retained in the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, Illinois [2006], along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet. Removed from Johnston County, North Carolina school libraries [2007] after a parent challenged its sexual content and profane language. The county school's staff then launched a district-wide book title review.)**

How to Eat Fried Worms (1973) by Thomas Rockwell.

How to Get Suspended and Influence People (2007) by Adam Selzer (Challenged at the Nampa, Idaho Public Library [2009] by a parent appalled that the cover included an abstract drawing of a nude woman and the back cover contains some profanity. The book explores the theme of censorship through the eyes of a gifted eighth-grader who is suspended after making an avant-garde sex-education video for a class project.)

How to Make Disposable Silencers (1984) by Desert and Eliezer Flores (An example of a class of books banned in Australia that "promote, incite, or instruct in matters of crime or violence." -- wikipedia)

How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale (2004) by Jenna Jameson and Neil Strauss (Sexually explicit.)

How You Were Born (1984) by Joanna Cole.

The Hunger Games (2008) by Suzanne Collins (Challenged and presented to the Goffstown New Hampshire school board [2010] by a parent claiming that it gave her 11-year-old nightmares and could numb the other students to the effects of violence. Anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult, Satanic; violence.

(B) Gargantua and Pantagruel (~1532 -- 1564) by Francis Rabelais.

Gates of Fire (1998) by Steven Pressfield (Retained in the Fairfax County, Virginia public schools in 2002 after being challenged for "too much profanity.")

Gays/justice: A Study of Ethics, Society, and Law (1988) by Richard D. Mohr (Homosexual agenda.)

Geography Club (2003) by Brent Hartinger (Challenged at the West Bend, Wisconsin Community Memorial Library [2009] as being "obscene or child pornography" from a section designated "Young Adults." The library board unanimously voted 9–0 to maintain, “without removing, relocating, labeling, or otherwise restricting access,” the books in the young adult category at the West Bend Community Memorial Library. The vote was a rejection of a four-month campaign conducted by the citizen’s group West Bend Citizens for Safe Libraries to move fiction and nonfiction books with sexually explicit passages from the young adult section to the adult section and label them as containing sexual material.)

(B) Gerald's Game (1992) by Stephen King.

The Geranium on the Windowsill Just Died, But Teacher Went Right On (1971) by Albert Callum.

(B) The German Republic (1922) by Thomas Mann.

Get Well Soon (2007) by Julie Helpern (Challenged at the Theisen Middle School in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin [2010] by a parent who believes that the book contains inappropriate subject matter for children.)

Ghosts: A Family Drama in Three Acts (1881) by Henrik Ibsen.

Gilgamesh: A New English Version (2004) by Stephen Mitchell (Challenged in the Clearview Regional High School in Harrison Township, New Jersey [2006] because the modern translation of one of the oldest known pieces of literature was considered sexually descriptive and unnecessarily explicit. The work itself dates back to about 1700 BCE, some one thousand years before the writings of Homer.)

Girl Goddess # 9 (1996) by Francesca Lia Block.**

Girl, Interrupted (1993) by Susanna Kayson (The New Rochelle, New York Board of Education [2008] announced that it would replace all 50 copies of Susanna Kayson's memoir after school officials tore pages from the book deemed "inappropriate" due to sexual content and strong language. Removed was a scene where the rebellious Lisa encourages Susanna to circumvent hospital rules against sexual intercourse by engaging in oral sex instead. The incident was a hot topic across the blogosphere, transcending political ideology. It was featured on the left-leaning Boing Boing, the most widely read blog in the world, as well as the top conservative site, Hot Air, which is owned by Michelle Malkin of Fox News. The New Yorker magazine and The Atlantic Monthly also picked up the story as well as dozens of blog sites focusing on literary and free speech issues.)*

A Girl's Life Online (2000) by Katherine Tarbox (Challenged in the English 11 Regents class at Baker High School in Baldwinsville, New York [2008] because of the book's graphic language. The cautionary tale about Internet safety is one of the five books students could select for the contemporary literature class unit on "teenage struggles.")

(B) The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999) by Stephen King.

Girl With a Pearl Earring (1999) by Tracy Chevalier (Banned in Iran [2006]. "The new government intends to take positive steps for reviving neglected values and considering religious teaching in the cultural field.")

Give a Boy a Gun (2000) by Todd Strasser (Retained at the Bangor, Pennsylvania Area Middle School [2007] despite a student's aunt's concerns about the book's depiction of school violence.)

The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry (Temporarily banned from classes by the Bonita Unified School District in La Verne and San Dimas, California in 1994 after four parents complained that violent and sexual passages were inappropriate for children. Restricted to students with parental permission at the Columbia Falls, Montana school system (1995) because of the book's treatment of themes of infanticide and euthanasia. Challenged at the Lakota High School in Cincinnati Ohio in 1996. Lewd; twisted; unfit for analysis by students because it is violent, sexually explicit and portrays infanticide and euthanasia; "The book is negative. I read it. I don't see the academic value in it. Everything presented to the kids should be positive or historical, not negative;" "The lady writes well, but when it comes to the ideas in that book, they have no place in my kid's head." Banned by some schools in Kansas and California; restricted at schools in several other US states. The book addresses many controversial themes including euthanasia. Challenged but retained at the Seaman, Kansas Unified School District 345 elementary school library [2006]. Appalled by descriptions of adolescent pill-popping, suicide, and lethal injections given to babies and the elderly, two parents demanded that the Mount Diablo School District, headquartered in Concord, California [2007], eliminate the controversial but award-winning book from the school reading lists and libraries.)*

The Giving Tree (1964) by Shel Silverstein (Removed from a locked reference collection in the Boulder, Colorado public library in 1988. The book was originally locked away because the librarian considered it sexist.)*

The Glass Castle: A Memoir (2005) by Jeannette Walls (Challenged at the William S. Hart Union High School District in Saugus, Calif. [2009] as required summer reading for the honors English program. The 2005 memoir chronicles the author’s harsh childhood and family life and includes profanity, criticisms of Christianity, and accounts of sexual abuse and prostitution. Students have the option of alternative assignments that still meet objectives and teaching goals.)

Go Ask Alice (1971) by anonymous ("Drug use." "Personally offensive." "Graphic language, subject matter, immoral tone, and lack of literary quality found in the book." Challenged as a reading assignment at Hanaham Middle School in Berkeley County, South Carolina [2008] because of blatant, explicit language using street terms for sex, talking of worms eating body parts, and blasphemy. The anonymously written 1971 book is about a 15-year-old who gets caught up in a life of drugs and sex before dying from an overdose. Its explicit references to drugs and sex have been controversial since it was first published.)*

The Goats (1987) by Brock Cole (Contains a passage describing the rescue of a naked girl. Contains offensive and inappropriate language for seventh graders.)

God of Small Things (1997) by Arundhati Roy (Written in 1996, claimed to be portraying inter-religion. Occasional sex scenes involving a Christian woman and a low caste Hindu servant. Ban overturned in India.)

God's Little Acre (1933) by Erskine Caldwell.

Going After Cacciato (1979) by Tim O'Brien.

The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments (1960) by Robert Brent (Banned in the 1960s because the chemistry experiments told as "simple" in the introduction of the book were simple but very dangerous.)

The Golden Compass (USA -- otherwise titled "Northern Lights") (1995) by Phillip Pullman ("Religious viewpoint." Retained by the publicly funded Dufferin-Peel Catholic School District in Missassauga, Ontario, Canada [2008] with a sticker on the inside cover telling readers "representations of the church in this novel are purely fictional and are not reflective of the real Roman Catholic Church or the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Removed, but returned to the library shelves at dozens of schools in the publicly funded Halton, Ontario, Canada, Catholic School District [2007] despite that the books were challenged as being "written by an atheist where the characters and text are anti-God, anti-Catholic, and anti-religion." The book and two other Pullman titles from his Dark Materials trilogy were pulled from public display for review, but are available for students upon request. The publicly funded Calgary, Alberta, Canada Catholic School District [2007] returned the book to its literary shelves two months after ordering its removal. Detractors accused the book of having antireligious content. Similar concerns prompted the Catholic League, a Roman-Catholic anti-defamation organization in the US, to urge parents to boycott a movie version of the book that was released in December 2007. Challenged by the Conkwright Middle School in Winchester, Kentucky [2007] because the main character drinks wine and ingests poppy with her meals, and the book presents an anti-Christian doctrine. Pulled from the St. John Newmann Middle School and Lourdes High School in Oshkosh, Wisconsin [2007] because of concerns about what critics call its "anti-Christian message." Challenged at the Shallowater Middle School in Lubbock, Texas [2007] because of the book's "anti-religious messages." Pulled from the library shelves at Ortega Middle School in Alamosa, Colorado [2007] for what critics regard as the book's anti-religious views. District officials later returned the book to circulation.)

The Golem's Eye (2004) by Jonathan Stroud (Restored by the Lackawanna New York School Board [2008] along with several other books following accusations of censorship by some parents and teachers. The book was pulled from the middle school library recommended list because of concerns that the book deals with the occult.)

Gone With the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell (Banned in Anaheim, California for its depiction of the behavior of Scarlett O'Hara and the freed slaves in the novel. "Uses the word 'nigger.'")*

Good Moon Rising (1996) by Nancy Garden (Gay-positive themes.)**

Goosebumps: Say Cheese and Die! (1992) (and the whole series) by R.L. Stine (Challenged but retained in the Anoka-Hennepin Minnesota school system in 1997 because "children under the age of 12 may not be able to handle the frightening content of the books" "Too frightening for children and inappropriate for school libraries." "Satanic symbolism, demonic possession, and violence.")*

Gorillas in the Mist (1983) by Dian Fossey (Teachers at the Westlake Middle School in Erie, Pennsylvania, using felt-tipped pens, blacked out passages pertaining to masturbation and mating.)

The Gospel According to the New York Times: How the World's Most Powerful News Organization Shapes Your Mind and Values (2002) by William Proctor.

Go Tell It On the Mountain (1953) by James Baldwin ("recurring themes of rape, masturbation, violence, and degrading treatment of women" "rife with profanity and explicit sex.")

(B) The Grapes of Wrath (1939) by John Steinbeck ("Vulgar words." "Uses the name of God and Jesus in a 'vain and profane manner along with inappropriate sexual references.'""The Grapes of Wrath has offended our citizenry by falsely implying that many of our fine people are a low, ignorant, profane, and blasphemous type living in a vicious, filthy manner." "pornographic, filthy, and dirty" "The book is full of filth. My son is being raised in a Christian home and this book takes the Lord's name in vain and has all kinds of profanity in it." "contains the phrase God damn")*

The Graphic Work of M.C. Escher (1984) by M.C. Escher (Pornographic, perverted, and morbid themes.)

Great Expectations (1860) by Charles Dickens.

The Great Gatsby (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Challenged at the Baptist Church in Charleston, SC in 1987 because of "language and sexual references in the book.")

The Great Gilly Hopkins (1978) by Katherine Paterson ("Profanity, graphic violence, contains the words 'hell' and 'damn.'" "Filled with profanity, blasphemy, and obscenities, and gutter language.")*

Great Sex Tips (2001) by Anne Hooper (Challenged, but retained in the Marple public library in Broomall, Pennsylvania in 2004 along with several sexual instruction manuals including: The Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein and Edmund White; Sex Toys 101: A Playfully Uninhibited Guide by Rachel Venning; Ultimate Guide to Fellatioby Violet Blue; and The Illustrated Guide to Extended Massive Orgasm by Steve Bodansky because the books are "seriously objectionable in text and pictures due to the sexually explicit material.")

Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggles With India (2011) by Joseph Lelveld (Banned in parts of India [2011]. A Santa Cruz, California educational organization, Foundation for Excellence, canceled an event planned in honor of the Pulitzer Prize winning author [2011]. The foundation provides scholarships for students in India and canceled the event after the biography hinted a homosexual relationship between Gandhi and a German named Hermann Kallenbach.)

The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy (2004) by T.A. Barron (Restored by the Lackawanna, New York school board [2008] along with several other books following accusations of censorship by some parents and teachers. The books were pulled from the middle school library recommended list because of concerns that the book dealt with the occult.)

Grendel (1971) by John Champlin Gardner, Jr. ("Too obscene and violent for high school students." Retained in the Sherwood, Oregon School District sophomore English reading list [2008] after concerns were expressed about some of the novel's scenes describing torture and mutilation.)

The Grooming of Alice (2000) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Banned from the Webb City, Missouri school library in 2002 because the book promotes homosexuality and "discusses issues best left to parents.")

The Group (1963) by Mary McCarthy (Obscene; indecent.)

Growing Up Chicana/o (1993) by Tiffany Ana Lopez.**

Growing Up Female in America (1987) by Eve Merriam.

Guess What? (1988) by Mem Fox, Vivienne Goodman ("Not appropriate reading material for young children because of the inclusion of witches, names of punk rockers, an other elements which are negative in the illustrations.")*

Guinness Book of World Records by Antonia Cunningham, Ed. (Retained in the Waukesha, Wisconsin elementary schools in 2002 despite a challenge that the book was sexually explicit.)

The Gulag Archipelago 1918 -- 1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation (1973) by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Banned in the Soviet Union because it went against the common way of thinking there.)

Gulliver's Travels (Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships)(1726) by Jonathan Swift (Wicked and obscene.)

The Guy Book: An Owner's Manual (2002) by Mavis Jukes (Challenged in the Lockwood, Montana Middle school library [2006] by parents who objected to what they believe to be misleading, sexually explicit material in the book. The book was retained. The challenge came on the heels of a December decision by the board to pull three books from the middle school library. Those books were The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends by Jan Brunvand, and Urban Legends and Alligators in the Sewer, both by Thomas Craughwell. The same parent brought those titles -- and their content -- to the attention of the librarian and the superintendent.)

The Face on the Milk Carton (1990) by Caroline B. Cooney.

Fade (1988) by Robert Cormier.

(B) Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury (Dystopic; this book was 'expurgated' without the author's consent -- 2 versions -- one adult and one juvenile. When Bradbury found out, he demanded that the expurgated copies be withdrawn completely. In response, the American Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee, Young Adult division was formed. They demanded that if a book is expurgated, it must be clearly specified. In a coda to his book, Bradbury added this comment: "I will not go gently onto a shelf, degutted, to become a non-book." It was banned in some US schools for being interpreted as critical of state-sponsored censorship. Challenged at the Conroe, Texas Independent School District [2006] because of the following: "discussion of being drunk, smoking cigarettes, violence, 'dirty talk', references to the Bible, and using God's name in vain." The novel went against the complainant's 'religious beliefs.')*

Fair and Tender Ladies (1988) by Lee Smith (Challenged in the Washington County, Virginia schools [2007] because of a few "crude" words deemed too graphic for teenage honor students. The author claimed the book provides teens with a safe forum to address issues such as unwanted pregnancy. The novel demonstrates the necessity of a good education and highlights the importance of southwestern Virginia's heritage.)*

Fair Game (1993) by Erika Tamar.

A Farewell to Arms (1828) by Ernest Hemingway (Challenged in New York Vernon-Verona-Sherrill School District (1980) as a "sex novel" and in Texas Dallas Independent School District (1974). Challenged (1987) at the Baptist College in Charleston, South Carolina due to "language and sexual references in the book.")

Fallen Angels (1988) by Walter Dean Myers ("More than 300 vulgarities." "I've read it. It's a filthy book. I think the language portrays what went on in Vietnam very accurately. But I don't think we should require a 14-year-old to read it." Banned from the George County, Mississippi schools in 2002 because of profanity. Banned at the Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2004 because of concerns about the book's profanity. The book was assigned in English classes for sophomores. Retained in the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, Illinois [2006], along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet. Challenged on the accelerated reading list at Chinquapin Elementary School in Duplin County, North Carolina [2008] because the book is littered with hundreds of expletives, including racial epithets and slang terms for homosexuals. Challenged in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho School District [2007]. Some parents say the book, along with five others, should require parental permission for students to read them.)**

Families (1981) by Meredith Tax (Removed from Fairfax County school board libraries even though board members praised the book.)

Families: A Celebration of Diversity, Commitment, and Love (1993) by Aylette Jenness.

The Family Book (2003) by Todd Parr.*

Family Limitation (~1912) by Margaret Sanger (The Comstock Law of 1873 (officially known as the Federal Anti-Obscenity Act) forbade distribution of birth control information. In 1915, Margaret Sanger's husband was jailed for distributing his wife's book, which described and advocated various methods of contraception. Sanger herself had fled toe country to avoid prosecution, but would return in 1916 to start the American Birth Control League, which eventually merged with other groups to form Planned Parenthood.)

Family Secrets (1985) by Norma Klein.

Family Values: Two Moms and Their Son (1993) by Phyllis Burke.

Fanny Hill: Or, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1748) by John Cleland (Frequently suppressed since its initial publication in 1749. The story of a prostitute is known both for its frank sexual depictions and its parodies of contemporary literature, such as Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders. The US Supreme Court finally cleared it from obscenity charges in 1966. "Fanny Hill was a prostitute." "Numerous incidents of heterosexual and lesbian sexual activity, female masturbation, flagellation, and voyeurism." "Lewd and obscene." Cleland was arrested for "corrupting the King's subjects" with this book.)

(B) A Farewell to Arms (1929) by Ernest Hemingway (

(B) Farmer Giles of Ham (1937) by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Fast Sam, Cool Clyde and Stuff (1975) by Walter Dean Myers.

Father Christmas (1973) by Raymond Briggs.

Fat Kid Rules the World (2003) by K. L. Going (Removed from the Pickens County, SC middle- and high-school library shelves [2007] because "the language, the sexual references, and drug use are not appropriate for middle school students." In 2004, the book was named a Michael Printz honor book for excellence in young adult literature by the Young Adult Library Services Association. Challenged as a suggested summer reading at the Alsip, Illinois Prairie Junior High School [2007] because the book is "laced with profanity and other mature content." The District 126 superintendent plans to retain the award-winning selection as one of the many titles offered to students to read, preferably from the recommended summer reading list, before school begins.)

The Federal Mafia (1992)by Irwin Schiff (An injunction was issued by a US district court in Nevada under 26 USC 7408 against Irwin Schiff and associates Cynthia Neum and Lawrence Cohen, against the sale of this book by those persons as the court found that the information it contains is fraudulent.)

(B) The Fellowship of the Ring: being the first part of The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The Feminine Plural: Stories by Women About Growing Up (1972) by Stephanie Spinner.

The Fighting Ground (1984) by Avi (Edward Irving Wortis) (Banned from the Bay District school's library shelves in Panama City, Florida [2008] after a parent noted several profanities uttered by some soldiers. The award-winning book, intended for the fourth-grade reading level, is about a 24 hour period in the life of a 13-year-old boy during the Revolutionary War.)

The Figure in the Shadows (1975) by John Bellairs (Restricted at the Dysart Unified School District libraries in El Mirage, Arizona in 1990 because of two uses of profanity and because of its link to magic)

Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide For the Dying (1992) by Derek Humphry (Banned by law in France.)

Finding Laura Buggs (1999) by Stanley Gordon West (Challenged in the Fargo, North Dakota School District classrooms [2007] because the book includes passages on such topics as sexual bondage, incest, murder, and infanticide. According to district policy, the complainant does not have standing to request either formal or informal reviews because she doesn't have a child in classes using the book. The complainant also contacted the Montana Department of Public Instruction and several state legislators.)

(B) Firestarter (1980) by Stephen King.

The First Circle (1968) by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Banned in the Soviet Union for the negative portrayal of Joseph Stalin.)

The First Man of Rome (1990) by Colleen McCullough.

A Fisherman of the Inland Sea (1994) by Ursula K. Le Guin (Removed from the West Brazoria, Texas Junior High School library [2006] because of inappropriate language. Books on "sensitive topics such as death, suicide, physical or sexual abuse, and teenage dating relationships" were moved to a restricted "young adult" section from which students can borrow only with written parental permission.)

Five Chinese Brothers (1938) by Claire H. Bishop (Challenged at the Spokane, Washington School District library in 1994 because it is too violent.)

The Fixer (1966) by Bernard Malamud.

The Flamingo Rising (1997) by Larry Baker (Challenged on the Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois summer reading list [2010] because a parent complained that "a sexual encounter depicted in the novel was definitely something you could consider X-rated.")

Flashcards of My Life (2006) by Charise Mericle Harper.

Flotilla II -- the Battle for Citation (1996) by Mike Eldar (The book was banned in 1997 by a government book committee acting under the "Official Secret Act" after it had been approved by the Israeli military censor and regardless of the fact that about 500 books had been sold. The book was republished in 2002 with no changes.)

Flowers for Algernon (1958) by Daniel Keyes (Banned in Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and challenged in Ohio and Wyoming.)*

Flowers in the Attic (1979) by V.C. Andrews ("Pornography." "Profanity.")*

Follow the River (1981) by James Alexander Thom (Removed from the tenth grade curriculum at the high school in Noblesville, Indiana in 2002 after a parent objected to passages about an imagined rape; the book remains in the library collection.)

Fools Crow (1986) by James Welch (Challenged at the Helena, Montana High School [2007] because of disturbing descriptions of rape, mutilation, and murder. Supporters of the book say its literary value -- specifically its insights into American Indian society and Montana history -- outweighs the controversial passages.)

(B) Footsteps (1990) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

Forbidden Knowledge: A Landmark Exploration of the Dark Side of Human Ingenuity and Imagination by Roger Shattuck.

Forever (1975) by Judy Blume (Banned from middle school libraries in the Elgin, Illinois School District U46 in 1997 because of sex scenes. The decision was upheld in June 1999 after an hour of emotional school board discussion. After a four-year absence, the book was returned in 2002 to the shelves in the school district's middle school libraries. "Profane homosexual agenda." "Contains 4-letter words and talked about masturbation, birth control, and disobedience to parents." "Demoralizes marital sex." "Pornographic and does not promote the sanctity of family life." "Explores areas God didn't intend to explore outside of marriage.")

Forever in Blue, the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (2007) by Ann Brashares (Challenged at the Theisen Middle School in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin [2010] by a parent who believes that the book has inappropriate subject matter for children. Some [of the characters in the book] are sexually active, and alcohol is part of their recreation. -- ALA)

For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) by Ernest Hemingway (When the Pulitzer Prize Advisory Board recommended For Whom the Bell Tolls for the 1940 prize, Columbia University President Nicholas Murray Butler said, "I hope that you will reconsider before you ask the University to be associated with an award for a work of this nature." There was no Pulitzer Prize for fiction for 1940. The US Post Office in the same year declared the book non-mailable; Eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six month's imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books. Banned in Spain during Franco's rule for its pro-Republican views.)

(B) Foundations of Leninism (1924) by Josef Stalin.

(B) Four Past Midnight (1990) by Stephen King.

Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang (1993) by Joyce Carol Oates.

The Fragile Flag: the Hall Family Chronicles (1984) by Jane Langton (Challenged at the Jefferson City, Colorado school library in 1986 because the book portrays the US government as "shallow" and "manipulative," and "lacking in intelligence and responsibility.")

Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus (1818 -- published anonymously; 1823 with author's name) by Mary Shelley (Banned in South Africa's apartheid regime. In 1955, the New York Times reported that Frankenstein was banned in South Africa as 'indecent, objectionable, or obscene.')*

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (2005) by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (Retained in the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, Illinois [2006], along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet.)*

Freedom and Order: A Commentary on the American Political Scene (1966) by Henry Steele Commager.

Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them (1999) by the Freedom Writers (Banned in Perry Township Indiana for sexual content and racial slurs. Challenged in the Howell, Michigan High School [2007] because of the book's strong sexual content. In response to a request from the president of the Livingston Organization for Values in Education, or LOVE, the county's top law enforcement official reviewed the books to see whether laws against distribution of sexually explicit materials to minors had been broken. "After reading the books in question, it is clear that the explicit passages illustrated a larger literary, artistic, or political message and were not included solely to appeal to the prurient interest of minors," the county prosecutor wrote. "Whether these materials are appropriate for minors is a decision to be made by the school board, but I find that they are not in violation of the criminal laws." The best-selling book has achieved national acclaim and was made into a hit movie.)

Friends Till the End (1982) by Todd Strasser.

(B) From a Buick 8 (1983) by Stephen King.

From Here To Eternity (1951) by James Jones.

From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun (1995) by Jacqueline Woodson.

(B) The Fugitive (Perburuan) (1950) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer (Banned in Indonesia for being too communistic and for other political reasons.)

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2006) by Alison Bechdel (Challenged but retained in the Marshall, Missouri public library [2006], despite being deemed 'pornographic' by some members of the community.)

Funhouse (1980) by Dean Koontz.

Jack (1989) by A.M. Homes.

(B) The Jacket (1915) by Jack London..Jacob Have I Loved (1980) by Katherine Paterson.

Jæger – i krig med eliten (2009) by Thomas Rathsack (Danish military tried to ban this book in September 2009 for National Security reasons, but the court rejected the ban as the book was already leaked in the press and on the Internet.)

Jake Reinvented (2003) by Gordan Korman (Challenged in the Higley United School District in Gilbert, Arizona [2007] because the novel contains themes of teen drinking, sex, and violence.)

James and the Giant Peach (1961) by Roald Dahl (Challenged at the Deep Creek Elementary School in Charlotte Harbor, Florida in 1991 because it is "not appropriate reading material for young children." Challenged at the Pederson Elementary School in Altoona, Wisconsin in 1991 because the book uses the word 'ass' and parts of the book deal with wine, tobacco, and snuff. Challenged at the Morton Elementary School library in Brooksville, Florida in 1992 because the book contains a foul word and promotes drugs and whiskey. Challenged at the Stafford County, Virginia Schools in 1995 because the tale contains crude language and encourages children to disobey their parents and other adults. The book was removed from the classroom and placed in the library, where access was restricted.)

James Baldwin: American Writer (Lives of Notable Gay Men and Lesbians) (1993) by Randall Kenan.*

Jay's Journal (1978), Anonymous

(B) Jerusalem Delivered (1581) by Torquato Tasso (Burned in France in the 16th century for containing ideas subversive to the authority of kings.)

(B) Jimmie Higgins: A Story (1919) by Upton Sinclair.

Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence (2009) by Jaswant Singh (Temporarily banned in Gujarat, India in August 2009. The ban was overturned December 2009.)

Jinnah of Pakistan (1982) by Stanley Wolpert (Banned in Pakistan for recounting Jinnah's taste for wine and pork.)

Journal of Current Pictorial (1905) by Chinese Alliance (Banned by China's Qing government for spreading anti-Qing propaganda.)

The Joy Luck Club (1989) by Amy Tan (Sexually explicit.)

The Joy of Gay Sex (1977) by Charles Silverstein and Edmund White (Challenged, but retained in the Marple public library in Broomall, Pennsylvania in 2004 along with several sexual instruction manuals including: Sex Toys 101: a Playfully Uninhibited Guide by Rachel Venning; Great Sex Tips by Anne Hooper; Ultimate Guide to Fellatio by Violet Blue; and The Illustrated Guide to Extended Massive Orgasm by Steve Bodansky because the books are "seriously objectionable in text and pictures due to the sexually explicit material." Challenged but retained at the Nampa, Idaho Public Library [2006] along with 7 other books, including the Joy of Sex despite the complaint that "they are very pornographic in nature and they have very explicit and detailed illustrations and photographs which we feel doesn't belong in a library." The library board approved policy changes that restrict children's access to any holdings that may fall under the state's harmful to minors statute and barred the library from buying movies rated NC-17 or X. The book was relocated to the director's office [2008] to be accessed by patrons who specifically request the book and it was eventually restored to the collection. Challenged in the Lewis and Clark library in Helena, Montana [2008] due to objections over its content. The book has been in the library's collection since 1993. The library director accepted the recommendation of the library's collection review committee that the book be retained in the collection. Restricted minors' access in the Topeka and Shawnee County, Kansas Public Library [2009] because a group contended that the material is "harmful to minors under state law.")

The Joy of Sex (1972) by Alex Comfort ("Sexually oriented." Restricted minors' access in the Topeka and Shawnee County, Kansas Public Library [2009] because a group contended that the material is "harmful to minors under state law." Later, the board voted 6-3 in favor of adopting a staff recommendation to keep the books where they are currently located on the shelves in the library's Health Information Neighborhood section.)

Jubilee (1966) by Margaret Walker (Challenged at the Jacksonville, Ill. High School [2010] by a pastor who said he found the fictionalized story of the author’s grandmother, who was born as a slave in Georgia, “offensive” and “trashy” and a novel about the way of life in the Old South. “We believe it is to promote superiority for white people and to step on black people and make them feel inferior.” The Ku Klux Klan challenged the novel in South Carolina in 1977 because it produces “racial strife and hatred.”)

Julie of the Wolves (1972) by Jean Craighead George (Challenged in Mexico, Missouri in 1982 because of the book's "socialist, communist, evolutionary, and anti-family themes." Challenged in Littleton, Colorado in 1989 school libraries because "the subject matter was better suited to older students, not sixth-graders." Challenged at the Erie Elementary School in Chandler, Arizona in 1994 because the book contains a passage that some parents found inappropriate in which a man forcibly kisses his wife. The Newbery award-winning book, depicting the experiences of an Eskimo girl, was chosen by the teacher of a third, fourth, and fifth grade class for the Antarctic unit she was teaching. Challenged in the classrooms and school libraries in Palmdale, California (1995) because the book describes a rape. Removed from the sixth-grade curriculum of the New Brighton Area School District in Pulaski Township, Pennsylvania in 1996 because of a graphic marital rape scene. Challenged at the Hanson Lane Elementary School in Ramona, California in 1996 because it includes an attempted rape of a 13-year-old girl. "References to family alcoholism, abuse, and divorce." "Includes a rape scene.")*

July's People (1981) by Nadine Gordimer (Banned during the Apartheid era in South Africa. It is now in the South African school curriculum.)

Jumper (1992) by Steven Gould

Jump Ship to Freedom (1981) by James and Christopher Collier.

(B) The Jungle (1906) by Upton Sinclair (Banned from public libraries in Yugoslavia in 1929, burned in Nazi fires in 1933 because of Sinclair's socialist views, banned in East Germany in 1956 as inimical to communism and banned in South Korea in 1985.)

Just Listen (2008) by Sarah Dessen (Challenged in the Hillsborough County, Florida school system [2007] because it was considered too intense for teens.)

Kaddish and Other Poems, 1958 -- 1960 by Allen Ginsberg.

Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa (1986) by Mark Mathabane (Banned in a number of schools due to a controversial scene involving child prostitution and sodomy. As a result, Mathabane has authorized a revised version for use in such schools. Retained at the East Union High School in Manteca, California [2006] senior English class. The controversial autobiography was challenged as inappropriate because a passage uses the words 'penis' and 'anus' to describe a scene in which a group of young boys are about to prostitute themselves to a group of men for food. Banned from the Burlingame, California Intermediate School [2007]. The book has been challenged frequently since its publication in 1986 because of two graphic paragraphs describing men preparing to engage in anal sex with young boys. It earned the 1987 Christopher Award for literature, "affirming the highest value of the human spirit." It was also a finalist for the Robert F. Kennedy Award for books representing "concern for the poor and the powerless." Challenged, but retained, at the San Luis Obispo California High School [2010] despite containing a passage that graphically details sexual assault. The book had been taught at the school for more than a decade without controversy.)

The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana (1883) by Sir Richard Francis Burton and Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot, translators ("Bears the dubious distinction of being the filthiest book published today. In my opinion, the human mind is scarcely able to withstand the impact of the overwhelming obscenity and sexually based desire for torture in the Kama Sutra." --Deputy Collector of Customs Robert W. Edwards, 1962.)

Kane and Abel (1979) by Jeffrey Archer.

Karen Kepplewhite Is the World's Best Kisser (1983) by Eve Bunting (Challenged at the Little Butte Intermediate School in Eagle Point, Oregon in 1989 because the book was too mature for the elementary class students.)

(B) Key of Solomon (14th or 15th century) by unknown (Banned in Europe by the Pope Innocent VI in 1350 and again in 1559 for being dangerous.)

Killing Mr. Griffin (1978) by Lois Duncan.

The Kincora Scandal (1996) by Chris Moore (Banned in the UK for alleging British cover up over Satanic abuse.)

Kindred (1979) by Octavia B. Butler.

King and King (2002) by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland (Restricted to adults in a school's library in Wilmington, North Carolina (2004) because the children's book is about a prince whose true love turns out to be another prince; gay-positive themes. Parents of a Lexington, Massachusetts [2006] second grader protested that their son's teacher read the fairy tale about gay marriage to the class without warning parents first. The book was used as part of a lesson about different types of weddings. "By presenting this kind of issue at such a young age, they're trying to indoctrinate our children," stated the parent. The incident renewed the efforts of Waltham-based Parents' Rights Coalition to rid the state's schools of books and lessons that advance the "homosexual agenda" in public schools. US District Court Judge Mark Wolf ruled February 23, 2007, that public schools are "entitled to teach anything that is reasonably related to the goals of preparing students to become engaged and productive citizens in our democracy." Wolf said the courts had decided in other cases that parents' rights to exercise their religious beliefs were not violated when their children were exposed to contrary ideas in school. The parents appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which dismissed the case on January 31, 2008. The courts said, "There is no evidence of systemic indoctrination. There is no allegation that the student was asked to affirm gay marriage. Requiring a student to read a particular gook is generally no coercive of free exercise rights. Public schools are not obligated to shield individual students from ideas which potentially are religiously offensive, particularly when the school imposes no requirement that the student agree with or affirm those ideas, or even participate in discussions about them." The parents plan to appeal to the US Supreme Court claiming the curriculum violated their right to religious freedom. Withdrawn from two Bristol, England, UK primary schools [2008] following objections from parents who claimed the book was unsuitable for children and that they had not been consulted on their opinions. Retained at the Lower Macungie, Pennsylvania LIbrary [2007]. The donated book was challenged because "let them be kids ... and not worry about homosexuality, race, religion. Just let them live freely as kids.")

The Kingdom of God Is Within You (1894) by Leo Tolstoy (Christian anarchist content.)

(B) King Lear (1603 or 1606 or 1608 or 1623??) by William Shakespeare (In 1999, a teacher at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, Georgia required seniors to obtain permission slips before they could read this play. The School Board had pulled the play from school reading lists, citing "adult language" and references to sex and violence. Many students and parents protested the decision, which also included the outright banning of three other of Shakespeare's plays. Banned from the English stage from 1788 to 1820, out of respect to King George III's alleged insanity)*

The King Must Die (1958) by Mary Renault.

The King Never Smiles (2006) by Paul M. Handley (Criticism of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.)

King Stark by Howard Pyle.

Kissing Tennessee and Other Stories From the Stardust Dance (2000) by Kathi Appelt.

The Kite Runner (2003) by Khaled Hosseini (Challenged as appropriate study in 10-grade honors English class at Freedom High School in Morganton, North Carolina [2008] because the novel depicts a sodomy rape in graphic detail and uses vulgar language. Retained in the Jackson County School District, Marianna, Florida [2008] after being removed from the required reading list for one class. The school board voted to retain the book in the library by a vote of five to two. Removed from a reading list at Centennial High School in Champaign, Illinois [2008] due to objections from a parent whose child was assigned the book for summer reading. Challenged in Burke County schools in Morgantown, North Carolina [2008] by parents concerned about the violence and sexual situations portrayed.)*

Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas (2002) by Louise Rennison (Challenged at the Oregon, Wisconsin Middle School in 2002 by a parent was particularly offended by a passage where a boy touches a girl's breast.)*

Know About AIDS (1986) by Margaret O. Hyde and Elizabeth Forsyth.

Krik? Krak! (1996) by Edwidge Dandicat (Sexually explicit.)

Kurt Cobain (2004) by Michael Martin (Removed from all elementary and middle Farmington, Minn. school libraries [2009] because the book was “very dark and violent and made references to the use of Ritalin as being a precursor to the use of illicit drugs. It also covered topics such as mental illness and suicide.”)

(B) Call of the Wild (1903) by Jack London (Censored in several European dictatorships in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1929, Italy banned all cheap editions and Yugoslavia banned all of Jack London's books as being "too radical." Burned in Nazi bonfires.)*

Candide, ou l'optimisme (1759) by Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet) (In 1930, US Customs seized Harvard-bound copies of Candide, Voltaire's critically hailed satire, claiming obscenity. Two Harvard professors defended the work, and it was later admitted in a different edition. In 1944, the US Post office demanded the omission of Candide from a mailed Concord Books catalog. "Obscene." "Godless and sacrilegious." "Too vulgar and erotic.")

Candy (1958), by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg; published under the pseudonym Maxwell Kenton (When the book was first published in France it was immediately banned there and subsequently reappeared under a different title (Lollipop). It was published in the United States in 1964. Due to outrage over the book's frank sexuality and a copyright loop, stores carrying Candy were closed down and their copies of the book hauled away. In 2006, Playboy Magazine listed Candy among the 25 sexiest novels ever written. The saga of this book is recounted in a book by Southern's son, The Candy Men: The Rollicking Life and Times of the Notorious Novel, Candy by Nile Southern.)

Can Such Things Be? (1893) by Ambrose Bierce (In 1918, the US War Department told the American Library Association to remove a number of pacifist and disturbing books, including this book, from camp libraries, a directive which was taken to also apply to the homefront. Censorship in libraries run by the federal government continued afterwards as well.)

The Canterbury Tales (~end of 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer (Banned for decades from the US mail under the Comstock Law of 1873. Officially known as the Federal Anti-Obscenity Act, this law banned the mailing of lewd, filthy, obscene, or indecent materials. The Comstock laws, while now unenforced, remain for the most part on the books today. "Sexual explicitness." "Vulgar language." "Promotion of women's lib.")*

(B) Caprichos (1926) by Alfred Kerr.

Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies From Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds) (1999) by Dav Pilkey (About the series: "The content IS sometimes vulgar, scatological, rude -- but so are 9-year-old boys." "I didn't care for the language. I didn't care for the innuendo." "Irreverence to authority.")*

Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants (2000) by Dav Pilkey.*

Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (1999) by Dav Pilkey.*

(B) Carrie (1974) by Stephen King.

The Cartoons That Shook the World (2009) by Jytte Klausen (Yale University Press in New Haven, Connecticut [2009] removed twelve cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad from an upcoming book about how they caused outrage across the Muslim world, citing fears of violence. A Danish newspaper originally published the cartoons — including one depicting Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban — in 2005. Other Western publications reprinted them. The following year, the cartoons triggered massive protests from Morocco to Indonesia. Rioters torched Danish and other Western diplomatic missions. Some Muslim countries boycotted Danish products. Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry.)

Casanova's Homecoming (1918) by Arthur Schnitzler.

Cassell Dictionary of Slang (1998) by Jonathon Green, Ed. (Banned in the Wake County, NC schools [2006] under pressure from one of a growing number of conservative Christian groups using the Internet to encourage school book bans.)

Catcher in the Rye (1951) by J.D. Salinger (Teachers need to explain why this book is to be read. "A filthy, filthy book." "Preferred nine times out of ten by wackos, killers, and disgruntled teenagers." "Excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult." "Centered around negative activity." "Profanity, reference to suicide, vulgarity, disrespect, and anti-Christian sentiments." "The main character exhibits behavior that is inappropriate." Challenged in the Big Sky High School in Missoula, Montana in 2009. Challenged, but retained, in the Martin County, Florida School District [2010] despite a parent's concern about inappropriate language. "anti-white, obscene" "unacceptable" "blasphemous and undermines authority" "immoral" "statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled")*

A Child of the Dark Prophecy (2004) by T.A. Baron (Restored by the Lackawanna New York School Board [2008] along with several other books following accusations of censorship by some parents and teachers. The books were pulled from the middle school library recommended list because of concerns that the books dealt with the occult.)

Child of God (1973) by Cormac McCarthy (Removed as an appropriate pre-Advanced English placement reading at the Jim Ned High School in Tuscola, Texas [2007].)

Children of the Alley (1959) by Naguib Mahfouz ("Blasphemous." "Offensive to the prophets of Islam." "Misrepresents the character of Muhammad.")

The Chocolate War (1974) by Robert Cormier ("Profanity, masturbation, fantasy" "Sexual content, offensive language, and violence." "Sexually explicit." Challenged but retained in the West Hartford, Connecticut schools [2006]. Parents of a King Philip Middle School eighth-grader thought the language, sexual content, and violence make the book PG-13. Challenged in the Wake County, NC schools [2006] because the book has "vulgar and sexually explicit language." Parents are getting help from Called2Action, a Christian group that says its mission is to "promote and defend our shared family and social values." Removed from the Harford County, Maryland High School curriculum [2007] because of its message on the dangers of bullying is overshadowed by instances vulgar language, including homophobic slurs. In November 2007, the Harford County's school superintendent reversed her decision to bar Cormier's novel and returned it to the classroom. Teachers now have the option of using the novel in a course that deals with harassment and decision making, but must get permission from all parents of students in the class. Challenged as an optional reading in a bullying unit at the Lake Oswego, Oregon junior high school [2007] because the novel is "peppered with profanities, ranging from derogatory slang terms to sexual encounters and violence." Students are given a list of book summaries and a letter to take to their parents. Four of the 8 optional books are labeled as having "mature content/language." Challenged in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho School District [2007]. Some parents say the book, along with five others, should require parental permission for students to read them. Challenged as required reading for seventh-grade students at the John H. Kinzie Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois [2007]. Challenged at the Northridge School District in Johnstown Ohio [2007] because "if these books were a movie, they would be rated R, why should we be encouraging them to read these books?")**

Choke (2001) by Chuck Palahniuk (Homosexual agenda.)

(Book AND Author burned) Christianity Restored (1553) by Michael Servetus (Servetus was arrested for 'heresies and horrible, execrable blasphemies against the Holy Trinity, against the Son of God, against the baptism of infants and foundations of the Christian religion" and was sentenced to be burned to ashes with his books for trying to 'infect the world with stinking heretical poison.' He was subsequently burned at the stake on October 27, 1553.)

(B) Christine (1983) by Stephen King.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1981) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

The Chronicles of Narnia (1949 -- 1954) by C.S. Lewis.

The Chronicles of Prydain (series) (1964 -- 1968) by Lloyd Alexander.

Church: Charism and Power: Liberation Theology and the Institutional Church (1986) by Leonardo Boff.

The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence (1974) by Victor Marchetti and John D. Marks (Raised the question of whether a citizen can sign away his Fifth Amendment rights or not.)

Cinderella or the Little Glass Slipper.*

Citizen Tom Paine (1943) by Howard Fast.

Civil Disobedience (1849) by Henry David Thoreau (In the 1950s, according to Walter Harding, Senator Joseph McCarthy had overseas libraries run by the US Information Service pull an anthology of American Literature from the shelves because it included Civil Disobedience. Banned in South Africa)

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment, Beauty's Release (early 1980s) by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice) (trilogy) (In 1996, removed from the Columbus Metropolitan Library after a patron determined that the books were "pornographic". Removed from the Lake Lanier Regional Library system in Gwinnett County, Georgia, in 1992.)

A Clockwork Orange (1962) by Anthony Burgess (In 1973 a bookseller in Orem, Utah was arrested for selling the novel. He was forced to close the store and relocate to another city; "objectionable language.")

The Color Purple (1982) by Alice Walker ("Sexual and social explicitness." "Troubling ideas about race relations, man's relationship to God, African history, and human sexuality." "Smut" "Homosexuality." "Sexually explicit." "Offensive language." Challenged in the Burke County Schools in Morgantown, North Carolina [2008] by parents concerned about the homosexuality, rape, and incest portrayed in the book. "sexually graphic and violent" "X-rated".)**

Comentarios Reales de los Incas (1609) by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (Published in Spain by the son of a Spanish conquistador and an Incan princess, its publication in Lima was forbidden by Carlos III of Spain during the uprising led by Tupac Amaru II, and was only published again in the Americas in 1918.)

Coming Out in College: The Struggle for a Queer Identity (1994) by Robert A. Rhoads (Homosexual agenda.)

(B) The Communist Manifesto (1848) by Karl Marx (Political reasons. Banned in anti-Communist countries and the US during the Red Scare.)

(B) The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway.

(B) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare.*

Concerning Heretics, Whether They Are to Be Persecuted and How They Are to Be Treated (De haereticis) by Sebastian Castellio (Written in response to the Servetus burning. Called an evil influence and a blasphemer by Calvin.)

Coney Island of the Mind (1958) by Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

(B) Confessions (1782) by Jean Jacques Rousseau (Banned by US Customs in 1929 as injurious to public morality. His philosophical works were also banned in the USSR in 1935, and some were placed on the Catholic Church's Index of Prohibited Books in the 18th century. The Index was primarily a matter of church law, but in some areas before the mid-19th century, it also had the force of secular law. The Index was finally abolished in 1966.)

Confessions of an Only Child (1974) by Norma Klein, Richard Cuffari (Profanity.)

Confessions of Augsburg (1530) by Martin Luther (Published in Germany, outlawed by the Vatican, though specifically the Council of Trent, 1545--1563.)

The Confessions of Nat Turner (1967) by William Styron.

The Contender (1967) by Robert Lipsyte ("Sounds like pretty explicit stuff.")

(B) The Cop Killer: How Mumia-Abu Jamal Conned Millions Into Believing He Was Framed (2000) by Dan Flynn.

(B) Copy Me (an anthology).

The Count of Monte Cristo (1844) by Alexandre Dumas.

The Country Girls (1960) bu Edna O'Brien (Banned by Ireland's censorship board in 1960 for its explicit sexual content.)

The Country Ahead of Us, the Country Behind (1989) by David Guterson.

The Crack Cocaine Diet: A Short Story from Hardly Knew Her (2005) by Laura Lippman (Pulled from a Litchfield, N.H. Campbell High School elective course classroom [2009] after parents voiced their concerns about a short-stories unit called “Love/Gender/Family Unit” that dealt with subject matters including abortion, cannibalism, homosexuality, and drug use. The parents said the stories promoted bad behavior and a “political agenda” and they shouldn’t be incorporated into classroom teachings. The Campbell High School English curriculum said the short story was not intended to glorify bad behavior, rather, it was chosen for its tone and point of view and to show the often devastating consequences of drug use. The English curriculum adviser eventually resigned.)

Cradle and All: A Novel (2000) by James Patterson (Removed from the Westhampton Beach, New York high school's ninth-grade reading list in 2007 because of "inappropriate sexual content." The reading list contains more than 300 books from which the ninth-graders must choose to read for course credit.)

Crank (2004) by Ellen Hopkins.

Crazy (1998) by Benjamin Lebert (Removed from the Canyon Vista Middle School in Round Rock, Texas in 2003 by the principal who decided a parent was correct in being concerned about the book's availability. The parent called the book "vulgar, it talked about parts of the body." There was free use of the "F-word and several C-words." The book was taken off the shelf at the district's other junior high school library.)

The Crucible (1952) by Arthur Miller ("Contains sick words from the mouths of demon-possessed people. It should be wiped out of the schools or the school board should use them to fuel the fires of hell." "Junk.")

Cuba (2003) by Sharon Gordon (Removed from all Miami Dade County school libraries [2006] because a parent's complaint that the book does not depict an accurate life in Cuba. The American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] of Florida filed a lawsuit challenging the decision to remove this book and the 23 other titles in the same series from the district school libraries. In granting a preliminary injunction in July 2006 against the removal, Judge Alan S. Gold of US District Court in Miami characterized the matter as a "First Amendment issue" and ruled in favor of the ACLU of Florida, which argued that the books were generally factual and that the board should add to its collection, rather than removing books it disagreed with. Removed from the Norma Butler Bossard Elementary School library in Miami, Florida [2007] by a parent complaining that the book does not depict an accurate life in Cuba.)

Cuban Kids (2000) by George Ancona (Banned in the Miami Dade County Public Schools [2006]. The picture book shows a child with a rifle and children saluting the Cuban flag with the caption, "We will be like Che!")